UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH
JJarlington j(Vl.einorial -L/ibrary
CONCISE
NATURAL HISTORY
OF
EAST AND WEST-FLORIDA.
CONTAINING,
An Account of the NATURAL PRODUCE of
all the Southern Part of British America, in the
Three Kingdoms of Nature, particularly the Animal
and Vegetable.
LIKEWISE,
The Artificial Produce now raifed, or poflible to be raifed, and
Manufadured there, with fome Commercial and Polirical Obferva-
tions in that Part of the World; and a Chorographical Account
of the fame.
By captain
BERNARD ROMANS.
New-York Printed:
Sold by R. Attken, Bookseller, opposite the
London Coffee-House, Front-Street.
M.DCC.LXXVI.
(Prictt Bound, One Dollar.) '
i
A^gent ior the I'tovxhc e of TVett-^oTida . \
t 3 ]
INTRODUCTION.
PREFACES, at this prefenf day become fuch
impertinent things^ that it is abnoji ^ improper
to offer one without an apology.
The many different reports which have prevailed
in Anierica, fince the cefflon of the Floridasj concern-
ing their Ji ate y fitiiation^ and foil ^ joined to the no,"
tural defire of thofe concerned^ to fee a good account
of thefe fo celebrated countries^ I hope will be apology
enough in the prefent cafe.
Confcious of being, from, experience, fufftciently
enabled to give a jii/i account of them, I have under-
taken the folloxviug fhetchy or out -lines, of a future
natural hifiory of thofe countries, in hopes that fame
abler hand may be thereby induceU to take up the pen,
and furnifh the world with a complete work of that
kind for thefe provinces i being well affured, that no
fart of Britifh America will furmfo the naturali/l
with more variety. i
I offer this humble attempt without any recommen-
dations or praifes of my own ; only I beg to affure my
reader, that I have, through the vjhole, adhered fo
JlriBly to truth, 'as to make no one deviation there-
from willingly or knowingly ; guarding, on the one
hand, againjl the vtifreprefentations , wherewith the
authors of the numerous and noted puffs, concerning
thefe provinces, haye fo plentifully interlarded their
Uboursi and, tn the other, againfl the prejudices of
thofe.
[ 4 ]
ihofey ivho have taken fo much pains to render this
country undefervedly defpifed.
N'o elegance ofJiyUy nor fo-wers of rhetoric^ mii(i
he expected from a perfon "who is confcious that he is
not fufficiently acquainted with the language ^ to "write
infuch a manner as nuillpleafe a critical reader; and
if he has xvrote fo as to be underjiood, he hopes thi
candid will excife fuch inaccuracies in compofitionf
as it is difficult for a foreigner to avoid.
REASON without experience can do nothing ; being
no more than the mere dreams, phantafms, and me-
teors of ingenious men, who abufe their time.
There is need of much diligence and'kbour, before man
can be thoroughly inftruded. Linneus.
All things contained in tlie compafs of the univerfe de-
clare, as it were with one accord, the infinite wifdom of
the Creator ; for whatever ftrikes our fenfes, whatever is
the ol>je6l of our thoughts, is fo contrived as to aflift m
manifefting the divine glory, j. e, the ultimate end which
God propofed in all his works. Whoever duly turns his
attention to the things on this our terraqueous globe, muft
ncccffarily contefs, that they are fo connected {o linked to-
gether, that they all tend to the fame-end, and to this end
a vail nuraber of intermediate ends are neceffary.
Isaac Biberg.
Man, the fcrvant ■s.ridi explainer of nature, obferves and
praftifes as much as he has learned, concerning her order,
cfle£l, and power ; further he neither knows nor can do.
Bacon.
LIST
<XXX>C<KXX>0<XX>O<X>C<>^^
>C<X)<XXX>0<XXXXX)<X)O<X)<X>0
A CONCISE
NATURAL HIS T ORY
OF
JEaJl and Weft-Florida.
ADESCRIBERof countries, ought
in a great meafure, to imitate a building
Engineer, in firft laying before thofe,
whom he will employ, accurate and di-
ftinct plans of his intended work, thereby enabling
them to judge more diftindly of the execution
thereof. I think that in S work of this nature, i
could not do this better that by directing my
readers to the charts or plans accompanying it, in
which they will undoubtedly find materials to form
juft ideas of the places herein defcribed.
To reduce my work to fome regularity, i fliall
proceed from the Eaft, Weftward, and begin with
the Peninfula, dividing it into two parts, which i
will call climates, the on6 beginning at Amelia or
^^. Mary's inlet, in latitude 31 : and extending
Southward to the latitude of 27 : 40 : this will in-
clude the rivers St. Mary, Naflau, St. 'John's or
Ylacco, and the Mulketo Lagoon (for furely no
one can call this lafl a river) befides feveral fmal •
ler ones, which will be mentioned in their places -,
A thefe
( a )
thefe all empty themfelves on the Eaftern fide of
the Apalachicola (the boundary between the two
Floridas) the Oiliaulafl^na the Apalachian, Sc.
Juan de Guacaro, vulgarly called little Seguana,
the river Amaxura, and the Manatee, which laft
falls into the bay of Tampe, or harbour of Spirito
Santo, and which i have firft difcovered. ^
The other, or Southern climate, beginning at
the latitude 27 : 40 : and extending Southward
to the latitude of 25, on the main, or to 24 : 17 :
including the keys •, this contains a large river,
which empties itfelf into the new harbour, of
which i am the firft explorer, we have given it the
name of Charlotte harbour, but neither harbour
nor river have been defcribed by the Spaniards in
their maps, and the Spanifh fiOiermen diftinguifh
the place by the names of its inlets, which are five,
and will hereafter be defcribed •, next is Carlos bay
and Carlos harbour, into which the river Coloofa-
hatcha empties itfelf-, further South are not any
more deferving the name of rivers, but fuch as
tliey are, i fhall give them a place alfo •, on
tlie Eaft fide is only the river St. Lucia, with its
Southern branch, the river Ratones, and the La-
goon, known by the name of Aifa Hatcha, Rio
d'ais, or Indian river, fome others can fcarcely be
ranked among rivers, but v/ill likewife be more
pnrticularlv mentioned liereafter.
After tl)is general divifion of the country, i think
it is not improper to begin with an account of the
air, which this province enjoys very pure and clear
foos are ftldom known any where except up-
on'St. Jolm's river, but the dews are very hea-
vy, tlie fpring and fummer are in general dry,^
tl-ic autumn very changeable i the beginning of
winter
( 3 )
winter wet and ftormy, but the latter part very dry
and ferene j from the end of September to the
end of June, there is perhaps not any v/here a more
delightful climate to be found, but all July, Au-
guft, andmoftof September are excelTively hot, yet
the changes from hot to cold are not fo fudden, as,
in Carolina, and froft is not frequently known, the
noon day's fun is always warm, the fevereft
cold ever known there affefts not the tender
china orange trees, which' grow here to a very
great perfection, i fcruple not to fay, that this
fruit here exceeds in goodnefs every other of the
kind i have yet feen, however the change from
the middle of this climate, to the Northern part of
it is much more perceptible from heat to cold,
than it was to the Southward from cold to heat, in
the year 1770 and 1771. I felt very fevere wea-
ther about the river NafTau, and to the fouthward
of the town of St. Auguftine, the climate changes
fo gradually, that it is not perceivable to the above
pamed lat. of 27 : 40 : where there is no froft at
^11, and which I have always fet down as the line
of no froft. From this line to tlie fouthern extent,
is a moll charming climate, the air almolt always
ferene •, on the eaft fide the common trade v/ind,
and on the weft fide the Apalachian fea breeze
fron^ the weft to the north- weft, refreili this deligh-
ful Peninfula during the fummer •, here we find
all the produce of more northern climes mixeci
with the inhabitants of the Tropics, and this as
well in the water as on the land, nor is there ever
fo great a cold as to dcftroy the fruits of the fouth^
nor fo great a heat as to parch the produce of the
north •, in all this Peninfuhi it is remarkable, that
rain is always prognofticated one or two days be-
fore
. ( 4 )
fore it falls, and this by either an immoderate dew
or no dew at all, fo that if a very heavy dew falls,
it is a certain fign of rain, and the fame if on a calm
fine night, there be no dew, but i cannot account
for this phenomenon.
The winds are not fo very changeable here as
they are farther to the northward, but are during
the greateft part of fpring, the whole fummer, and
beginning of autumn, generally between the eaft
and fouth eaft, and during the laft of autumn, and
firft part of winter,they are commonly in the north,
eaft quarter; the latter part of the v/inter, and firft
of fpring they are more generally weft and north
well, the autumnal equinox is to be dreaded here,
as well two or three weeks before, as two or three
months after it, great ftorms will then happen, and
many veffels are drove on fhore, or otherwife dif-
abled : I have never heard of much mifchief in
the vernal equinox, and if a hurricane was ever
known in this Peninftila, it was on the 29th
of 0<5lober 1769, when there was a terrible
guft between the lat. 25 : 10, and 25 : 50, which
blew many trees down, and drove the Snow Led-
bury a Ihore, where fhe remained dry on a key,
now diftinguilhed by her name, but heretofore
confidered as a part of what was improperly called
by the name of Key Largo.
The fatal hurricane of Auguft go, 31, Septem-
ber I, 2, 3, anno 1772, was feverely felt in Weft
Florida, it deftroyed the woods for about ^o miles
from the fea coaft in a terrible manner, what were
its effeds in the unfettled countries to the eaft- ;
ward, we cannot learn •, in Penfacola it did little
or no mifchief except the breaking down of all the
wharfs but one ; but farther weftward, it was
terrible
, ( 5 \
terrible ; at Mobile every thing was in confufion,
veflels, boats, and loggs were drove up into tht
ftreets a great diftance, the gullies and hollows
as well as all the lower grounds of this town were
fo filled with loggs, that many of the inhabitants
got the greateft part of their yearly provifion of
firewood there •, all the vegitables were burned up
by the fait water, which was by the violence of
the wind, carried over the tov/n, fo as at the dif-
tance of half a mile, it was feen to fall like rain ;
all the lower floors of the houfes were covered
with water, but no houfes were hurt except one,
which ftood at the water fide, in which lived a
joiner, a fchooner drove upon it, and they alter-
nately deftroyed each other •, but the greateft fury
of it was fpent on the neighbourhood of the Pafca
Oocolo river -, the plantation of Mr. Krebs there
was almoft totally deftroyed, of a fine crop office,
and a large one of corn were fcarcely left any re-
mains, the houfes were left uncovered, his finith's
(hop was almoft all waftied away, all his works
and out lioufes blown .down ; and for thirty miles
up a branch of this river which (on account of the
abundance of that fpecies of cyprefs* vulgarly cal-
led white cedar) is called cedar river, there was
fcarce a tree left ftanding, the pines were blown
down or broke, and thofe which had not intirely
yielded to this violence^ were fo twifted, that they
might be compared to ropes -, at Botereaux's cow
pen, the people v/ere above fix weeks confulting on
^ method of finding and bringing home their cat-
tle •, twelve mjles up the river, live Ibme Germans
who, feeing the v/ater rife with fo incredible a rapi-
dity, were almoft embarked, fearing an univerfal
flood, but the water not rifrng over their land,
* Cupreff^s Thvo-.Jci. they
( 6 )^
they did not proceed on their intended journey to
the Chadaw nation. At Yoani, in this nation, i
am told the efFefts were perceivable •, in all this
trad of coaft and country the wind had ranged be-
tween the fouth fouth eaft and eaft, but farther
weft its fury was between the north north eaft and
eaft, a fchooner belonging to the government
having a detachment of the fixteenth regiment on
board, was drove by accident to the weftward as
far as Cat I Hand, where ftie lay at an anchor un.-
der the weft point, the water rofe fo high, that
when ftie parted her cables, ftie floated over the
ifland, the wind north by ^aft, or thereabout flie
was forced upon the Free mafons iilands, and lay
about 6 weeks before Ihe was got oif, and if they
had not accidentally been difcovered by a hunting
boat, the people might have remained there and
died for want, particularly as water failed them
already when difcovered -, the effe6l of this diife-
renlidiredtion of the current of air or wind wa?
here furprifmg, the fouth eafterly wind having
drove the water in immenfe quantities up all the
rivers, bays, and founds to the weftward, being
here counteradled by the northerly wind, this bo-
dy of water was violently forced into the bay of
Spirito Santo at the back of the Cliandeleurs,
grand Gozier, and Breton Ifles, and not finding
fufhcient vent up the rigolets, nor down the outlets
of the bay, it forced a number of very deep chan-
nels through thefe iflands, cutting them into a
great number of fmall iflands. The high ifland
of the Chandeleur had all the furface of its ground
wafhed off, and i really think, had not the clay
been held faft by the roots of the black man-
grove, ai\d in fome places the myrtle (Myrica)
there
there would have been fcarce a veftlge of the ifland
left; at the movith of Miffifippi all the fhipping
was drove into the marfhes; a Spanilh brig
foundered and parted, and a large crcw was loft,
fome of the people were taken from a piece of her
at fea, by a floop from Penfacola a few days af-
ter; in the lakes at Chef Menteur, and in the
pafles of tlie rigolets, the water rofe prodigioufly
and covered the low iflands there two feet ; at St.
John's Creek, and New Orleans, the tide was
thought extraordinary high, but at all thefe lafl:
places there was no w^d felt, being a fine ferene
day with a fmall air from the eaftward.
The moft extraordinary effed of this hurricane
was the produdion of a fecond crop of leaves and
fniit on all the mulberry trees in this country, a
circumftance into which i very carefully enquired,
but could not learn from the oldeft and moft curi-
ous obfervers that this had ever happened before;
this tardy tree budded, foliated, bloflbmed,' and
bore ripe fruit with the amazing rapidity of only
four weeks time immediately after the guft, and
no other trees were thus affefted.
The fouth and- fouth weft winds make a thick
heavy air, and are in my opinion hurtful to the
lungs ; they alfo occafion the fultry weather, fo
much complained of in July and Auguft, The
winds from the eaftern quarter every where be
tween the fouth eaft and the north eaft:, are cool
and moift, and they caufe the frequent ftiowers^
by which the very fand of this climate is endued
with fo prodigious a vegetative power that it amaze*
every one. The winds from the eaft to the north
are agreeably cool, and from the north to the north-
weft, occafion what is here called cold weather; i
have
( 8 ) _
have frequently kept thermometrical journals, but;
have none left now for infpedion.
I remember the general height of the mercury
on Fahrenheit's fcale, to have been, in the fhade
where the air was not prevented circulating freely
about it, between 84'' and 88" and on fome fultry
hot days in July and Auguflr, i have known it to
rife up to 94°, when at the fame time by carrying
■ it o\it and expofmg it to the fun, it will rife in a
very fhort time up to 114°, nor can i remember
ever to have feen it above one or two degrees be-
low the freezing point •, it is impoffible for one to
ima^ne how inexpreflibly temperate the weather
is here from the latter end of September to the lat-
ter end of June -, the weflern part of this northern
divifion is not io very hot in fummer, as the whole
eaftern Iliore of the Peninfula is, but its fea Ihore
is much more expofed to the bleak winter winds.
In the fouthern divifion i have never feen the
mercury in Fahrenheit's thermometer below the
temperate point, and i cannot remember ever to
have feen it higher than in the northern divifion.
This fouthern part of the Peninfula is in the
months of May, June, July, and Auguft very
fubjed, on its weft fide, to dreadful fqualls,
and there is a certainty of one or more of thefe
tornadoes every day, when during that feafon, the
wind comes any where between the fouth fouth
eafb, and fouth weft, but they are of very ftiorf
duration-, then alfo thunder and lightning is fre-
quent, but nothing near fo violent as in Caroli-
na and Georgia, nor do i remember any m^re.
than one inftance of damage occaftoned by it,
when it made a large hole in a ft:one* wall of a
houfe at St. Auguftine; ..vet very few elcclrical
condudors are made ufe of there. Be-
( 9 )
Before i quit this fubjed of the air, I cannot
help taking notice of a rernark, which i have read
fome where, made by Dr. James McKenzie,
which is that dampnefs or difcoloring of plaifter,
and wainfcoat, the foon moulding of bre^d, moilt-
nefs of fpunge, dilTolution of loaf fugar, rufting
of metals, and rotting of furniture, are certain
.marks of a bad air ; now every one of thofe marks
.except the laft, are more to be feen at St. AuguC.
tine, than in any place i ever was at, and yet i do
not think, that on all the continent, there is a
more healthy fpot; burials have been lefs frequent
here, than any where elfe, where an ?qual number
of inhabitants is to be found, and it was remark^
,ed during my ftay there, that when a detachment
of the royal regiment of artillery once arrived
there in a fickly ftate, none of the inhabitants
caught the contagion, and the troops themfelves
loon recruited j i alfo know of feveral aflhmatic angl
jconfumptive fubjedts, who have been greatly re-
lieved there; the Spanifli inliabitants lived here
to a great age, and certain it is, that the people
of the Havannah looked on it as their Montpe-
lier, frequenting it for the fake of health ; i there-
fore afcribe the above circumftances to the nature
oftheftone, wherewith the houfes are built.
Haloes, or as they are vulgarly called circle^
•round the fun and moon, are very often feen, and
are fure forerunners of rain if npt wind ftormsi
thofe of the fun are lels frequent, hut they are al-
ways followed by very violent gales of wind ; it i;B
^remarkable, that if in thofe haloes a break is ob-
ferved, that break is always towards the quarter,
from whence the wind begins; water fpouts are
often feeiij^lpng thiscft^ft, J?jy; ig^nnot learn diac
. JPi ' they_
( lO )
they ever occafioned any mifchief, nor could i Icarn,
that earthquakes have ever been experienced in this
part of the world.
Of Weft Florida, there needs fcarce any thing »
more to be faid, withregad to the article of climate,
or air, than what i have faid of my northern divifion
of Eaft Florida, it agreeing in every refped there-
with, except that the winter is fomething more fe-
vere, it often killing tender fruit trees •, * however,
as the ficknefs of i 'j^^ at Mobile, has been a fub-
je6l of much difcourfe, and as it has been fet up
(by people who would if pofTible prevent the po-
pulation of fo fine a country) as 4 fcarecrow to
iuch, as are eafily deceived by appearances, and
jiever enqyire deeper than external fhews ; this fa-
tal diforder has been followed by the entire ruin of
Mobile, and had nearly fpoiled the reputation of
Penfacola, which though fituate in as fine, airy,
dry and healthy a fite as any on the continent, and
at leaft at a diftance of fixty miles from Mo-
bile, had yet the misfortune to be confounded
with it, and to be thought liable to the fame mif-
fbrtuncs ; i will give as faithful an account of that
"illnefs, as has come within the verge of my know-
ledge.
Mobile was originally built by the French, af-
ter they had left their old Fort Conde, thirty
miles higher up the Tombecbe, having found that
fituation very inconvenient; they now made at
ieaft as injudicious a choice in another refpe<5t, by
placing themfelves at a diftance from good water,
on low ground, and direftly oppofi'te to fome
jiiarftiy iflands, at the divifion between the fait and
frefti water, a fituation well known in America
not to be eligible for the fake of health, but the
f 'In 1771-2; it killc? «pplc asd pear trees. COIJ-
cortvenlence of the navigation up to it being the
jbeft in their poffefTion at that time, its being a bar-
rier againft the Spaniards, and the eafy communi-
cation with the Chactaw and Upper Creek nations^
as well as with the MiflifTippi, made people forget
the evils attending it, and it loon became, from a
fort, a pretty town, with fome very good houfeat
built in no inelegant tafte, yet the French inhabi-
tants duly obferving the inconveniencies of this
unhealthy fpot, adapted their conftitutions to it,
by a regular fober life, being uncommonly care*
ful to get their drinking water from a rivulet at the
diflance of three miles, Vv' here it is very good, nei-
ther did they give into excefs of drinking fpiritun
ous liquors and wine, and at the feafon, when the
continued heat caufed a putrefadion of the water
in pools, and exhaled the moifture of this low
ground, thereby filling the air with noxious vapours^
and thus occafioning the acute epidemical diforders
(that proved fo fatal in the year 1765) thole pru^
dent inhabitants retired to their plantations up or
down the river, fome even at a fmall diltance,
there to enjoy a freer circulation of a lefs putrified
air, thus alfo by the depopulation of the town, the
remaining inhabitants fufFered lefs by being lefs
crowded together, aud there were fuch inftances
of longevity here as are not to be outdone in any
part of America. Let me beg leave to mention
among many others, one more commonly known^
it is the Chevalier de Luce re's family, who arc
now all very old, and whofe mother not many
years fmce died by breaking one of her legs, that
had been fo much calcarizated by the gout, that
it fnapped by ftepping into bed, flie died aged far
above one hundred years. One other i fhafl men-
tion.
( ii )
'Hon, more familiar to me, which Is that of one
Mr. Francois, who lives now about five miles be-
low the river Poule : In September 1771, i cal-
led there, the old man told me he was then paft
Eighty three years of age, that the old woman,
whom i faw putting bread into the oven, was his
tnotheri and that fhe was one of the firft women
that came from France to this country ; i faw her
about her domeftick bufinefs in many ways-, in a
very cheerful manner, fmging and running from
place to place as brilkly as a girl of tv/enty ; Mr.
Franfois told me, that at the age of fixty he fell out
of a pine tree, above fifty feet high, with his loins
over a fallen one, that he with difficulty recover-
ed, and that had it not been for that accident, he
■would not, as he thinks, yet have been fenfible of
the heavy hand of time •, that he was ftill a hearty
cheerful old man, was evidently to be feen ; when
i came to the river Poule in Od;ober 1772, i met
the fame old gentleman filhing at the mouth of the
jTjver, on my afking him whether this diverfion
•was agreeable to him, he told me-, that his mother
had an inclination to eat filh, and he was come to
get her a mefs ; he was then on foot and had five
miles to come to this place, and as much back
Vith his prey, after catching it-, a very dutiful
Ton this at eighty five ! He lives comfortably at
kn agreeable place, and on the produce of a mid-
iing large ftock of cattle,
• Many more of this kind might be mentioned,
biit thefe two being more univerfally known, i
thofe to relate them only. Far otherwife was it
with our fons of incontinence, who upon their arri-
Iral, and after their firft taking pofleflion of this
country, lived there fo faft, -that their race was
too
( '3 ) .
too foon fcampered over; midnight carouzals,
and the converting day into night, and night into
day was all the ftudy of thofe gay, thofe thought-
lels men, who fported with their lives-, as with a
toy not worth efteeming ; the fatal effe<5ls of their
debauches; joined to the confequences of the fitu-
ation of their refidence, made their lives indeed
comparable to grafs, flourifhing to day, and v/i.
thering to morrow ; but as if a punifhment for this
abandoned life, was not fufficiently incurred by its
ov/n fatality, in the year 1765 arrived a regiment
(i think the twenty firft) from Jamaica, with
them they brought a contagious diftemper; con-
trafted either in the ifland, or on their paflage;
thefe men, like moft foldiers •, lived a life of intem-
perance, and befides, drank the water out of the
ftagnated pools, which i myfelf have even in the
winter, feen fuch as to fill a man with horror at
the thought of making ufe thereof, this and other
inconveniences of a foldier's life, joined to their
arriving in a bad feafon, fwept them off fo as
fcarce to leave a living one to bury the dead. See
there the true reafon of the fickly charadler of the
■climate, and of the deftrudion of this once flou-
rifhing town, whofe fituation by far exceeds thai'
of Savannah in Georgia, in every refped:.
It is an almoft invariable rule for people, who
intend going to a different climate, to confult
fome friend or acquaintance on tlie manner of life,
he would advife liim to lead, i have never yet
heard of one going to Florida, who was not told
by his friend, that a free glafs was neceffary ; how
true this is, i fhall not pretend to fay, but certain
it is, that the advice is almoft always too freely
followed, the free glafs generally degenerating in-
to a glafs of cxcefs. Not
C 14 )
. Notwithftandlng all i have above aflerted, it Is
not to be denied, that during the hot months, the
air is not fo wholefome as in the other feafons, but
even then it does not fo much afFe6t careful ftran-
gers, and new comers, as thofe who have been
ibme time there and live irregular lives.
The night air is not fo much to be dreaded
here, as in countries where the fun is vertical, or
nearly fo, and confequently, by its lo.ng abfence^
makes a chilling penetrating night follow a burn-
ing day, but here it is not long enough abfent to
cool the atmofphere fufEciently to hurt the unwea-
ry fleeper, who during the firft heaf of a fultry
night perhaps has expofed his open pores to the
mercy of the air.
' The atmofphere is, during this feafon, fo burn-
ing hot, that undoubtedly very fudden rarefafti-
ons of the humours are often experienced, which
caufe fuch abundant perl'piration, that water, as
foon as drank, penetrates the open pores, fo that
the human H^in feems to be comparable to a wet
fpunge when fqueezed -, yet although the water is
here very cool (and if it has not this quality natu-
rally, it is artificially made to acquire it) we ne-
ver hear of the fatal effeds of .water drinking, fo
often experienced in the cities of New York and
Philadelphia, the reafon perhaps is, that it is fel-
dom if ever drank unmixed.
I will however venture to foretell, that on open-
ing the woods of this country for cultivation,
which will naturally drain ponds, gullies, &c. the
air will be here very little affedled by thofe perni-
cious vapours, which have fo uncommon an influ-
ence over the humours and fibrous parts of the hu-
man frame, as to deflroy their harmonious con-
cordance
( 15 )
co^dance fmay i be admitted the phrafe?) and
occafioning them to relax, and thereby producing
weaknefTes, laflitudes, and finally dangerous and
fatal diforders.
If we confider the effedls of heat and humidi-
ty on the hardeft fvjbflances, fuch as wood, and
even metals, which are thereby expanded, and
have the union of their folid parts relaxed, it may
give us an idea, how much more their effcds muft
be felt in the animal oeconomy at times, when
fire and water unite their diflblving powers to adt
on all nature.
A very dry hot air, though lefs dangerous to
the body, than a hot moift one, has yet vesy near-
ly the fame effed:s, as .. it partially dries the
Ponds, Marfhes, Swamps, &c. leaving the re-
maining water and mud to exhale, and fpread
their noxious vapours through the atmofphere. •
Every inhabitant of any part of An:erica knov/s,
that the fudden tranfitions from cold to heat iq
prevalent on that continent, are much n^ore to be
dreaded, than any of the above named caufes of
immoderate heat, cold, moiilure, and droiig/it. ■
I am now to confider the nature a:id appearance
of the earth, which in this part of America, may
be divided into fix difFerenfforts, much the iams
as in Carolina, with this diftinction, that it is
much more unequally divided.
I fhall treat of them by the names of pine l?.nd^
Hammock land, favannahs, fwamps, marlhes,
and bay, or cyprefs galls.
Firft the pine land, commonly called pine bar-
ren, which makes up the largeft body by far, the
Peninfula being fcarce any thing elie; but about
an hundred miles towards the north weft from Sti
Auguf-
( i6 )
Auguitlne,' and about two hundred from the fea
in Weil Florida, carry us intirely out of it. This
land confills of a grey, or white fand, and in ma-
ny places of a red or yellow gravel ; it produces a
great variety of flirubs or plants, of which i llialt
hereafter defcribe fome, the principal produce
from whence it derives its name is the pinus foUis
kngijfimis ex una theca ternis, or yellow pin^ and
pitch pine tree, which i take to be a variety of the
lame fpecies, both excellent and good timber.
Alfo the chamaTops frondihus pahnatis plicatis
Jiipitibus ferratis, of whofe fruit all animals are
very fond.
It is on this kind of land, that immenfe ftocks
of cattle are maintained, although the moft natural
grafs on this foil is of a very harlh nature, and the
cattle not at all fond of it, it is known by the name
of wire grafs ; and they only eat it while young;
for the procuring it young or renewing this kind of
pafture, the woods are frequently fired, and at
^different feaibris, in order to have a fuccelTion of
young grafs, but the favannahs that are interfperfed
m this kind of land furnilh a more plentiful and
more proper food for the cattle.
Some high pine hills are fo covered with two or
three varieties of the quercus or oak fo as to make an
underwood to the lofty pines -, and a fpecies of
dwarf chefnut is often found here -, another fpecies
of a larger growth is alfo found in the lower parts,
paiticularly in the edges of the bay or cyprefs galls.
This barren and unfavourable foil in a wet fea-
fon bears many things far beyond expectation; and
is very ufeful for the cultivation of peach and
mulberry orchards ; this land might alfo be ren-
dered ufeful for many other purpofes, but either
the
( "7 ) . .
tHi'people do not choofe to go out of the old beateii
track, or content themfelves with looking eliewherd
for neyv land improveable with lefs coft j the me-
thod of meliorating it is certainly obvious to tJic
meaneft capacity, as it every where, at a greater or
lefs depth, covers a ftiff m.arly kind of clay, v/iiich
i arti cei-tain, was it properly mixed v/ith th.e land>
would render it fertile,, and this miglit be done-
with little expence, the clay laying in Ifyme places
-within half a foot or a foot of the furfacc-, in moit
places it is found at the depth of three, four, or
'five feet, confequently not very hard to come at".
•, In Eaft Florida, in the fouthern parts, this kind
bf land is often very rocky, but efpecially from live
■htitude25 : 50, fouthv/ard to the point, where it is
a foRd rock, of a kind of hme ftoile covei'ed witii
innumerable fmall, loofe and fnarp icones, every
whtrfe'.
In V.^efl Florida the pine latid is alfo frequently
found rocky, with an iron ilone, efpecially near
where the pines are found growing in a gravelly
tract, which is frequently the cafe here,
The hammock land fo called from its ap-
pearing in tufts among the lofty pines-, fome
Im?.lll|^ots of this kind, if feen at a diibince, have
a very romantick appearance •, the large parcels of
it ofien divide fwamps, creeks, or rivers from the
pine land, this is indeed its mail common fituati-
on ; the whole of the up lands, remote ft-om the
fea in the northern parts, is this kind of land, its
foil is various, in fome places a fand of divers co^
lours, and in Eail Florida, often a white fand i
but the true hammock foil is a mixture of cky ana
a blackifh fand, arid in foine fpots a kind of ochre,
ill- F.ail Florida fome of this is alio fometime;
C fbund
(18;
found rocky; on every kind of this land lays a
ilratum of black mould, made by the decayed
leaves &c. of the wood and other plants growing
iipon it ; the falts contained in this ftratum render
it very fruitful, and when cleared this is the beftj
nay the only fit land for the produflion of indigo,
potatoes, and pulfe ; the firfl crops, by means of
the manure above mentioned, generally are very
plentiful, but the falts being foon evaporated, if the
foil over which it lay, fhould prove to be fand, ic
is not better than pine land ; the other fort bears
many years planting ; its natural produce is {o
various in this clin ate, that the compleat defcrip-
tion of all, would oe more work than one man's
life time would be fufficient for, the principal how-
ever are the following :
^ercus alba Virgimana.
^ercus alba pumilis.
^ercus, foliis oblongis
nonfinuatiSj femper vi-
rens.
^ercus nigra, folia non
ferrato, in fummitate
quaft triangtih.
^lercus nigra foliis ctimi
forma, obfolete trilo-
his.
^ercus nigra Marilandi-
ca, folio trifido, ad
' faffafras accidente.
Virginian white oak.
Dwarf white oak, or
poll oak.
Evergreen oak with ob-^
long entire leaves, or
live oak.
Black oak, with leaves
ferrated, and their
tops almoft triangu-
lar.
Black oak, with wedge
Ihaped leaves, and
having imperfedly
three lobes.
Black Maryland oak,,
with trifid leaves re-
fembling faffafras.
^iercus
Carolin.1
( «9
^ercus rubra CaroUnen-
JiSy 'virens muricata.
^ercus caftanea foliis^
-procera arbor.
Juglans alba^ fru5lu ova-
to comprejfo profunde
infculpto durijimo, ca-
vitate intus minima.
Juglans VirginidM alba
minor.
Nux juglans nigra.
Fagus humilis (feu cajla-
nea^ pumila) racemofa
fru^uparvo ; in capju-
lis echinatis, fingulo.
pagus foliis lanceolatis
cvatis, acute ferratis
fubtus tomentojis^ a-
mentis filiformi nodo-
fts, fru5lu in cdpfulis.
echinatis, duplice.
Morus foliis fuhfUs iomen-
tofis amentis longis^ di^.
Morns, loti arboris injlar.
)
Carolina red oak, prick-
ly when young.
Chefnut leaved oak of
a large fize.
Whrte walnut, or hick-
* ory with egg fliaped
fruit clofely grafpedj,
and buried, in a very
hard fhell, with the
fmallefl inward cavi-
ties
Small Virginian hicko?
ry tree.
Black walnut.
Smalleft fagus (or dwarf
chefnut) having the
fruit in bunches, and
contained fingly in a
prickly pod, vulgo
chinkapin.
Fagus, with leaves be-
tween egg and fpe^r
fliaped, fharply fer-
rated and woolly
underneath, (lender
knotty catkins, and a'
double fruit in a
prickly pod.
Mulberry with the un,
der part of the leaves
woolly, having long
catkins; and trees of
different fexes.
Mulberry refembling
ramofa
tkc
( 2P )
ri7mpfa.j foliis am
Mis. ■
Morus foliis palmafis,
cortice filameniofa,
fruEfu nigro^ radice
tin5foria.
Diofpyros gnajacana.
Liquidambar^ Jiyradfliia j
aceris folio.
Boraffus frondihuspahna-
tis (feu) palma cocci-
f era latif olio ^ fru5lu a-
tro purpureo, omnium
minimo.
Palma humilis (feu) cha^
m^riphis.
JLaurus foliis acuminatisy
baccis caruleis^ pedicel^
lis longis rubris inftden-
tibus.
Laurus (feu cinnamomum
fylveftre) Americana.
Laurus (feu) corfiusmas
odorata, folio trefido,
margine plano^ fiffa^
fras di^a.
Liliodendron tulipifera,
tripartitOj aceris folio^
msjdM
the lote-iree full of
branches; and large
leaves.
Mulberry with hand
fhaped leaves a threa-
dy bark, black fruit,
and the root contain-
ing a dyCo
Parfimmon.
Maple leaved liquidam-^
ber, yielding ftorax
or fweet gum.
Boraffus, with hand or
fan fhaped leaves (or)
fcarlet yielding palm,
with broad leaves,"
and a deep purple
fruit which is the
leaft of all.
Dwarf palm, or cha-
msriphis.
Laurel, with pointed
leayes, and blue ber-
ries, fitting on long
red foot ftalks.
¥he wild American cin-
namon Laurel.
The male fcented cornel
or laurel tree, with a
trifid leaf, having
plain edges, called
faffafras.
Tulip bearing lilioden-
dron, with a tripar-
tite maple leaf, hav-
( 2
fiiedia ladnia velut
abfcijfa.
^agnolia maxima fore,
foliis fuhtus fcrrugi-
mis.
Magnolia glauca 'laurifo-
liofukus alhicante.
Magnolia fiore atbo, folio
majore acumin(^to baud
albi(;anU,
Magnolia tripetala am-
plifimofcre albo, fruc-
tu coccimo,
(^itrus (Jen) malus au-
rantia acida.
* Illiciumforidanum (feu)
anifum flellatum.
Kalmia, foliisglabris lan-
ceolatis •, et corolla cam-
panul^ hypocraterique
forma.
Ticus Americana, citri
f olio ^fruSiu-parvo -pur-
pureo.
Coccoloba (feu) prunus
maritima racemofa, fo-
lio fubrotundoy venofo
fru^ii
I )
ing the middle piece
feemingly cut off.
Magnolia, ^with the lar,
geft flower, and the
lower fi4? o|" the
leaves ferrugineous.
Magnolia, with a grey
laurel leaf whitilh be-,
low.
Magnolia, with a \yhite
flower, a larger point'
ed leaf, and not
whitifh.
Magnolia, with a very
large white flower of
three petals j and ^.
fcarlet fruit.
The four orange.
Starry annifeed, or-
fl^immi.
Kalmia, with fmooth
lanceolate leaves, and
a cqroUa between fal-
ver and bell fhaped.
Anierican fig, with a
citron leaf and a
Unall purple fruit.
Coccoloba, or fea fide
plumb, growing in
bunches, an almofl:
round vpned leaf, &
* the
* Firft found growing near Penfacola, by a free Negro (Pompey) for-
merly belonging to Chi.ff JuiUc« Cliftop; which Negro in his own way is
a cmious herbaljfl:,
( 22 )
frtiElu c^eruko quafi the fruit blue, mclin*
ptirpureo. ed to purple.
Coccoloha foliis ohlongis o^ Coccoloba, with oblong
%^tis venojts^ uvis mi^ egg fhaped veined
Koribus corinthiacis, leaves, with pointed
grape like fruit lefg
than currants.
Eantoxylum fpinofum d- Tooth ach tree, with
bum, quaft fraxini fo- white fpinesalmoft an
lio, evonymi fru5fu afh leaf, and the cap-
capfulari. fulum like the fruit
of the fpindle tree.
The favannah's are in this country of two very
different kinds, the one is to be found in the pine
lands-, and notwithftanding the black appearance
of the foil, they are as much a white fand as the
higher lands round them -, true it is that clay is
very often much nearer to their furface, than in
the higher pine lands -, they are a kind of finks or
drains to thofe higher lands, and their low fitua-
tion only prevents the growth of pines in them.
In wet weather the roads leading through them
are almoft irnpaflable. On account of their pro-
ducing fome fpecies of grafs of a better kind than
the wire grafs, they are very often ftiled meadows,
and i believe, if they could be improved by drain-
ing them, without taking away all their moifture,
very ufeful grafs might be raifed in them ; but on
draining them cornpletely, they prove to be as
an*ant a fand as any in this country. Thefe fa-
vannahs often have fpots in them more low than
common, and filled with water; they are over
grown with different fpecies of the crat^gus, of
hawthorn, as alfo very often a fpecies of llirub
much
(43 )
much refembling the Laiirus in appearanc«?, but as
i never had an opportunity of feeing it in bloffoin^
i cannot defcribe it, fo as to afcertain the genus
it belongs to ; in its fruit it is widely different
from any of the laurel kind^ that have fallen un-
der my infpe6tion i it is a bacca with feveral cells
full of an agreeable acid like the Common lime
from the Weft Indies •, it is of the iize of a large
pigeon's egg, but more oblong i we alfo find it
on the low banks of rivers in Georgia, and know
it by the name of the Ogeechee lime* The other
favannahs differ very widely from thefe, and are
chiefly to be found in Weft Florida, they confill
of a high ground often with fmall gentle rifmgs in
them. Tome are of a vaft extent, and on the weft
of MilTilTippi^ they are faid to be many days jour-
ney over, the largeft within my knowledge is on
the road from the Chaftaw to the Chicafaw nation,
and is in length near forty miles over from north
to fouth, and from one end to the other, a hori-
zon, fimilar to that at fea, appears ; there is gerie-
rally a rivulet at one or other, or at each end of^
the favannahs, and fome come to the river banks *"
in one or two of them i have ittn fome very fmall
remains of ancient huts, by which i judge, they
were formerly inhabited by Indians; the foil here
is very fertile; in fome i have feen fofTil flielis in
great numbers, in others, flint, in others again,
fome chalk and marl; it is remarkable, that cattle
are very fond of the grafies growing here ; the Chi-
cafaw old field, as it is termed, is a clear demonftrati-
on of this, for the cattle will come to it from anydif-
tance, even when the grafs fcarcely appears ; and
in all the circumjacent tradl:, are abundance of both
winter and fummer canes to be found ^ on wliich
they
. _ ( 24 3 ■
they might more luxuriously feed. In thefe favan-
nahs if a well or pond is dug, the water has a very
ilrong nitrous tafte. I have feen fome very curi-
ous plants in this kind of ground, but there was
no time for my examining any of them, except
a nondefcript of the genus Tageies of a fine cnm-
fon colour. I fhall in fome meafure defcribe and
give the figure of this plant. The only high growth
i have feen in thefe favannahs are fome willows and
other aquatic plants, by the fide of riviilets, in ot
near them ; fome of the fmaller kind of oaks and a
few imdlljunipers are alfo to be feertSn thbfe places,
the fragnria orftrawberry is very common in them.
Swamps are alfo found of two kinds, river and
inland fwamps, thofe on the rivers are juftly
efteemed the moll valuable, and the more lb, if
they are in the tide way, becaufe then the river
water may be at pleafure let on or kept out, wit!i
much lefs labour and expence than in the other
kinds ; thefe lands are the fources of ri?^hes in thefe
provinces, becaufe where they lay between tife j
faftdy pine barrens, they produce that valuable'
ftaple Rice, and on the MiffifTippi (where much df
this river land is fituated a great deal higher, thah
the common run of it in Carolina, and other hmil?r
countries) this foil is the b^^Wdapted for cd^n anil
indigo, yet known •, fome of thefe grounds are clay„
others land, and others agairl partake of both •,
. when ufed for rice, it matters not which of thefc
foils they are made up of, but I believe, were titc
jandy ones to be quite drained, they would prove
barren enough-, the uie of water on rice is more fc
fupprefs the grov/th of noxious v/eeds aild graff.,-,
which would otherwise ilifie the o-rain, than foi
I ronioting the growth of the rice itfelt,- for nonas
ot
( 25 )
of the graffes can ftand the v/ater, but rice does, as
long as it is not totally immerfed, therefore it is,
that after weeding, the planter (if he has it con-
venient) lets on w^er to about half the height of
his grain ; by fv/amps then in general is to be un-
derftood any low ground fubject to inundations,
(^iftinguilhed from marihes, in having a large
growth of tiniber, and much underwood, canes,
reeds, wythes, vines, briars and fuch like, fo
matted together, that they are in a great meafure
impenetrable tp man or beaft •, the produce of thefe
fwamps if fandy is more generally the cyprefs tree,
which is here of three fpecies ; two of thefe grow
in this kind of land j the common fort grows to an
enormous. fize, but none fo large, as what is i^en
on or ne^ir the banks of the MilTiffippi, the other
kind vulgarly mifc^^ed white cedar, is in great
quantities near Penfacola, particularly in the
fwamps of Chefter River ; this likewife grows to
a tree which m.ay be ranked among thofe of the
^rft magnitude : If thefe fwamps are not altogether
-fand, but mixed with clay, and other earth, theic
produce is in general.
Cuprejfiis Americana fo- American deciduous
Ins deciduis. . cyprels
CtipreJJiis fmper virens Evergreen cyprefs, vul*
feu cupre£jis Thy aides. go white cedar.
^ercus alba aqtfatica fa- White fwamp oak, with
licis folio breviore. a. Ihort willow leaf,
vulgo water oak.
^ercus folio longo anguf- Oak with a long nar-'-
tofalicis, row willow leaf, vul-
go willow oak.
^ercus D White
( 2(
f^iercus alba foliis fttper-
ne latiorihus^ oppofite
\ Jinuatis^ fmtibus angu-
lifque ohtiifts.
Hex floridana^ foliis den-
tatiSj baccis rubris.
Acer foliis compofilis^ flo-
ribus racemofts.
Acer foliis quinque par-
tita palmatis acuniina-
to dentatis.
'Acer foliis quinquelobis
fubdentatis, fubtus glan-
ds pedunculis fimplijfi-
mis aggregatis.
Fraxinus foridana, foliis
migtijlioribiis utrinque
cecuminatis pendulis.
Nyff a foliis latis acumina-
tis et dentatis fru^u
aleagni majore.
Populus alba majoribus
foliis fiibccrdatis.
Toptdm nigra folio max-
imoy gmmis balfamum
odora-
5 )
White oak, with the up-'
per leaves broad, op-
pofitely finuated, the
fiKuffes having obtufe
angles, or the true
white oak.
Floridan holly, with
indented leaves and
red berries.
Maple, with compofite
leaves and the flowers
in bunches.
Maple, with a palmated
leaf of five parts
fharply indented.
Maple, with a five lo-
bed leaf faintly in-
dented, their lower
part of a blue caft,
with fimply aggre-
gate flower ftalks.
Floridan afh, with nar-
row hanging leaves
on both ends point-
ed.
Tupelo, with broad
pointed and indented
leaves, with a fruit
like the largeft wild
olive.
Great white popular,
with almofl heart
fhaped leaves.
Black popular, with the
largeft leaves, whofe
bud
( 2
cdoratiffimum funden-
tibus.
Plat anus occidentali^oUis
lobatis. w
SaUx folio anguftiffimOy
longiffimo fuhtus alho.
Bignonia foliis ftmplici-
bus cordatisy flore fof-
dide albo, inius macu-
lis caruleis et purpureis
irregulariter adfperfis%
. filique longiffima et an-
gufiijfima.
Bignonia^ fraxinl foliis.
Laurus foliis acuminatis,
baccis c<eruleis -, pedi-
cellis longis rubris infi-
dentibus.
Cratagus fru5iu parvo
rubra.
Genijla capfulo aromatico.
Vitis nigra^ vulpina di£fa.
Vitis foliis api, uva co-
rymbofa
7 ')
buds exude an odori-
ferous gum or bal-
fam.
Weftern plantane, with
lobated leaves (vul-
go) button wood,
water beech, or fyca-
more.
Willow, with narrow
long leaves, being
white below.
Bignonia, or trumpet
flower, with fingle
heart Ihaped leaves,
flowers of a dirty-
white, through whofe
infide blue and pur-
ple fpots are irregu-
larly . fcattered, hav-
ing a long and nar-
row feed pod (vulgo)
catalpa.
Bignonia, with an afli
leaf.
Laurel, with a pointed
leaf, blue berries fit-
ting on long foot-
ftalks.
Hawthorn, with a fmall
red fruit.
Broom, with an aroma-
tic feed pod.
Black vine, called fox
grape.
Parfley leaved vine,
with-
C 2
rymhfa purpura mi-
nore.
Vitis vinifera fdvejiris,
Betula nigra foliis rhom-
heis ovatis acuminatis
duplicato ferratis
Coriaria foliis gladiatis
ferratis (feu) nicotia-
na Indiorum.
Rhus vernix (feu) toxi-
codendron foliis alatis
fru5fu rhonihoide.
yuglans alba aquaiica,
cortice glabro, arbor
humilis -, fru5iu amaro.
Sambucus racemofa acinis
nigris, caula herbacea,
Sambucus cymis quinque-
partitis foliis fubpinna-
tis.
T^agnolia, glauca lauri
folio fubtus albicante.
Fagus foliis ovatis obfo-
lete ferratis; fru5iu
Myrica (feu) myrtus {bra-
banticafimilis) fiorida-
na^ baccifera^ baccis
feffilis', fru^u cerifcro,
Canna
with fmall purple
grapes in a corymbus.
Wild wine vine.
Blaak birch; with ovate
momboid leaves, be-
ing doubly ferrated.
Shumac, with ferrated
Iword like leaves, or
Savages tobacco,
Shumac or poifon tree,
with winged leaves,
and a rhomboidal
fruit.
White fwamp hickory,
with a fmooth bark
being a dwarf tree
and a bitter fruit.
Elder, with bunches of
black berries, and an
herbaceous ftalk.
Elder, with the cyraa
of five parts and im-
perfe6bly winged
leaves.
Magnolia, with a green
laurel leaf whitilh be-
low-
Beech, with almoft egg
fhaped llightly ferrat-
ed leaves and a trian-
gular fruit.
Florida berry-bearing
myrtle, the berries
fquat; and yielding
wax.
Reed
( 29 )
Canna foliis enervihus. Reed, with ve-ry we^k
leaves
Gleditfia ftAnofa^ fpmis Locufl, with triple
triplicibus axill^ihus^ axillary fpines, an o-
capfula Gvali^ unicum val feed pod inclofing
femen claudente. a fingle feed.
Scilix folio angujlijfimo Willow, with very nar-
ferrato glabra^ petiolis row fmooth ferrated
dentatis glandu lofis. leaves, the ftalks
dentated and full 6f
glandules.
The back or inland fwamps anfwer in fituatioft
to what are called the meadows or favannahs
(among the pine lands) their foil being rich, oc-
cafions them to bear trees. The true back fwamps,
that are in wet feafons full of {landing water, bear
fcarcely any other tree, than a variety of that fpe-
cies of Nyfla diftinguifhed by Botanifts by the
name oi NyJJa foliis latis acuminatis non dent atisf rue -
tu ^eleagni mimre, pedunculis muUiflore^ vulgarly
called bottle arfed tupelo; the continuance of wa-
ter on this kind-of ground, is the reafon why fcarce
any undergrowth is found here. There are fwamps
aifo called back fwamps, but they are either at
the head of fome ftream, or have more or lefs wa-
ter running througli them ; thefeare generally eafy
to drain.- I would have confined my defcription of
back fwamps to thefirftorftanding ones, and rank-
ed the laft (which i think might properly be done)
among the river fwamps, but i was apprehenlive,
that it might have difpleafed fome perfon, who
entertains the more eftablifhed opinion-, thefe laft
defcribed often are found meer cyprefs fwamps.
In that cafe, they are almoft impaffable, by reafon
of
( 30 )
of the-^yprefs fpurs, even when dry, and for
horfes, they are extremely dangerous, as they of-
•ten get flaked on thofe fpurs. This vegetable
monfter i lliall hereafter defcribe -, i do not remem-
ber to have ever feen it mentioned any where i
when this kind of fwamp is not over grown with
cyprefs alone, its produ£t is the fame as that of
the river fwamps above mentioned, and in that
cafe the foil is certainly good j thefe laft when pro-
perly drained, are the beil land for the cultivation
of hemp.
'The marfhes are next to be confidered, they
are of four kinds, tv/o in the fait, and two inthe
frelh water ; they are either foft or hard, the foft
marllies confifting of a very wet clay or mud, are
as yet of no ufe, without a very great expence to
drain them ; the hard ones are made up of a kind
of marly clay, which in dry feafons is almofl
burned up, true it is tliey afford a paflure fuffici-
ent to keep any gramenivorous animals in good
order; but the milk and flefh of them in feafons,
when the cattle near the lea fide cannot find any other
food, and confequently feed on this alone, are of,
fo horrible a tafte, that no Uranger to the country
can make ufe of them. Hard marilies in general
are fuch, whofe foil has too much folidity, for the
water to difunite its particles by penetrating them ;
the foft marfhes are thofe, whofe fpungy nature
allows the water eafily to penetrate them •, i have
feen of both kinds on Turtle River, about twenty
miles up, in which, at about eight or teij feet be-
low the furface, there are numbers of cyprefs and
other flumps remaining, but chiefly cyprefs, and
many of the fallen trees crofTing each other ; this
is only to be feen at low water, and to the height
above
p. 31
'--.^^yvi'erujf. am/a/cca yJyuy^/^^'C:
( 3' )
above named ; thefe trees are covered with a rich
nitrous muddy foil ; but i beg leave to expedl,
that better Naturalifts may explain this extraordi-
nary appearance ; i believe them ruins of ancient
forefts on which the fea has encroached. *
The marfhes on frelh water are in every refpe6t
fimilar to thofe on the fait, except, that they are
not impregnated with the faline particles, of which
the firft are veiy replete-, therefore the hard ones,
with little trouble, are adapted to cultivation;
the foft ones coft a confiderable deal more of ex-
pence, to render them fit to anfwer this purpofe,
but when ib drained as to anfwer this end, they
certainly are by no means inferior to any land in
this country ; in the lower part of thefe marfhes
grows a kind of hitherto undefcribed grain, of
which the weftern Indians make a great ufe for
bread, i never could fee it in bloflbm, therefore,
cannot defcribe it, but joined to this is a figure of
it, nearly equal in fize to one eighth of the com-
mon growth of the plant when in perfedion, it is
known by the name of wild oats.
This kind of land produces rice veiy willingly,
but if fufRciently made dry, always proves the beiV
for corn, indigo and hemp ; i have feen at Mr.
Brewington*s plantation, about three miles below
favannah in Georgia, very good corn and rice to-
gether, with the two kinds of melons, and cu-
cux.ibers in great perfedion on this fpecies of foil.
I fhall next defcribe the bay and cyprefs galls ;
thefe interfe6t the pine lands, and are feldom of
any breadth j the bay galls are properly water
courfes, covered with a fpungy earth mixed with
* The whole appearance of this rlvsr feems to iadlcatc fwsh an an«Ieflt
aad unr'ewrded bwmcans w this pait of the coaftt
( 3^ )
a kind of matted vegetable fibres ; they are fo very
\inftable, as to fhake for a great extent round a
perfon, who, (landing on fome part thereoi\, moves
himfeh^ nightly up and down; they often prove
-fatal to cattle, aud fometimes i have been detained
for above an hour at the narroweft paffes of them,
they being fo dangerous to crofs, that frequently
a horfe plunges in, fo as to leave only his head in
fight; their natural produce is a ftateiy tree called
loblolly bay,* and many different vines, briars,
thorny withs, and on their edges a fpecies of red
or fummer cane, which together combine to make
this ground impenetrable, as if nature had thus
intended to prevent the deftru6lion of cattle in thefe
difmal bogs, which would be particularly fatal to
many of them in fpring, when the early produce
of grafs and green leaves in thefe galls, , might en-
tice them into this danger, was not fuch a natural
obftacle in their way ; as thefe have generally vent,
they are fometimes drained, and rice planted there-
in, which for one or two years thrives there tole-
rably, but this ground is fo replete with vitriolic
principles, that the water {landing in them is im.-
pregnated with acid, infomuch, that i have tailed
it four enough to have perfuaded a perfon, unac-
quainted with this circumftance, that it was an
equal portion of vinegar and water mixed toge-
ther, therefore it requires to lay open at leafl one
year before it will bear any thing, and tliey gc-iie-
rally, by laying open four or five years without
any other draining, become quite dry, and might
be advantageoufiy ufed for pafture ground.
The cyprefs galls differ from thefe, in being a
firm fandy foil, in having no vitriolic tafte in the
v/ater,
* Hyperh'.fn, feu Gordonia Lafanthus,
( 33 >
water, and very feldom ventj i never knew thefe
made ufe of for the purpofe of planting, and the
cyprefs they produce, is a dwarf kind, not fit for
ufe, being very much twifted and often hollow,'
there is no undergrowth here, but in dry feafons
fome tolerable grafs. Through all the above fpe-
cies of land we find a diftribution of very fine
clay, fit for manufadluring ; the fineft i ever faw
is at the village on Mobile Bay, where i have fecn
the inhabitants, in imitation of the Savages, have
feveral rough made vefTels thereof; there is alfo
a great variety of nitrous and bituminous earths;
foflills, marles, boles, magnetic and other iron
ore, lead, coal, chalk, flate, free ftone, chryf-
tals, and white topazes, thefe laft in the beds of
rivers ; ambergris is fometimes found; one Stir-
rup a few years ago found a piece of a very enor-
mous fize on one of the keys ; there is alfo much
of a natural pitch or afphalthus, vulgarly called
mungiac, thrown up by the fea: The uplands
alfo afford a metallic fubftance appearing like
muiket bullets, which on being thrown into the
fire go off in fmoak with a very fulphureous
flench.
The water in this country is very various as to
tafte, quality and ufe, there are fait, brackilh, ni-
trous, fulphureous, and good frelh %rings in
moft parts of this country, as well as fait andfrefh
lakes, lagoons and rivers, the rivers alfo vary in
many refpeds, and fo does the fea as well in the
colour, and clearnefs of the water as in its degree
of faltnefs -, the water of St. Mary's and Naffau,'
and all the brooks that run into them is very good,
wholefome, and well tailed, the colour in the ri-
yers is dark, as in all the Ainerican rivers of j;he
E ' fouthern
fonthertidillri(51:^ St. John's is a curiolity among ri-
vets indeed, this rifes at afmall di'ftance from the 1-i-
goon called Indian river, fomewliere in^or near the
latitude of 27, perhaps oift of the lake Mayacco,
which i have reafon to believe really exifts, and"
Ts' the head of the river St. Lucia, as i am told by a
credible Spanilh hunter, who had been carried
there by way of this laft river; from its origin it
runs through wide extended plains and marfhes,
till near the latitude 28, where it approaches the
lagoon much, it then continues its courfe with a
confiderable current northward, and glides thro*
five great lakes, of which the laft, called Lake
George, is by much the moft confiderable; in
this laft lake is about eight feet water, it is twenty
miles long and about eleven or twelve wide ; all
thefe lakes and the river in general is very plea-
fant •, endlefs orange groves are found here, and
indeed on every part of the river -, below thefe the
river grows wider, lofes it current, and has in
fome places none, in others a retrograde one, when
yet lower down it is again in its true direction j
the banks of this river a:re very poor land, and ex-
hibit in a number of places fad monuments of the^
folly and extravagant ideas of the firft European
adventurers and fchemers, and the villany of their
managers; the tide does not effedt this river very
far up. In many places high up this river are
found fome extraordinary fprings, which at a
fmall diftahce from the river on both fides, rufti
or boil out of the earth, at once becoming navi-
"gable for boats, and from twenty five to forty
yards wide, their courfe is feldom half a mile be-
Tore they meet the river; their water is (contrary
to that of the river) clear, fo as to admit of the
feeing
( Z5 )
feeing a fmall piece of money at the depth often
feet or more; they fmell ftrqng of fulphur, and
Ayhatever \s, thrown in them becomes foon inp rufted
with a white fungous matter; their tafte is bitu-
minous, very difagreeable, and they in my opi-
.nion caufe the green cloudings we fee on the fur-
face of the water of this rivpr, and make it putricj,
and fo unwholefome as experience has taught v^s
it is. I have no fufficient ground to decide up0|i
another circumftance, which i am tol^, viz : Thajt
when rice is overflown with this river water, ^
kills it ; above thefe fprtngs the water of tjie riypr
is good : This river is from one and a half tp
three miles wide, except at the houfe of Mr.
Rolle, who has here made an odd attempt towards
fettling and making an eftate in as complete a fandy
defart as can be found; juft above this, it is fqjl
of iilands, exhibiting every where a very romantic
appearance; there is a fine piece of water, called
Dun's Lake, this is about nine miles from the ri-
ver, eaftward from this place, this empties itfelf
by a flream into the river ; another cajled the
Dodor's Lake, is on the weft fide, about fixty
miles from the mouth, we fee a variety of aquatic
plants floating thereon. In my journey by land
from the Bay of Tampe acrofs the Peninfula to St.
_Auguftinie, i crofled twenty three miles from eaft
to weft of mjferable barren fand hills, the grain t>f
the fand is very fmall and ferrugineous ; thefe hiljs
rife a confiderabje height ; on them is fome growt|i
of very fmall pines, and a v^ry humble kinjd
of oak grows fo thick, that with the addition
pf fonie wythes and otjier plants, to me ut-
oterly unknpwn, they render it abfolut?eIy impe-
..netrgbk. ift$his S^idge, which, a§ far as i c^n
:' ~ " ^ ' " learn.
. . ■( 36 )
learn, extends from North to South, between the
rivers St. John and Ocklaw-wawhaw, for about
an hundred and. fifty miles, having no v/here any
water in its whole extent, and i am told, that
■where we crofled it, is its narrowed place ; my
Indian guide had the precaution to carry water
for ourfelves and horfes, which proved very fer-
viceable as it was a very hot day, no growth of
trees to Ihade us, and fuch a burning fand for the
fun to refled on; i leave the reader to judge what.
,we fuffered, though it was but a fhort diftance
over, both ourfelves and beafts often experienced
the neceflity of carrying water-, what muft
travelling over this place be in a hot day, where it
is forty or more miles wide ?
Before i leave St. John's River, i muft not for-
get the river running from fouth to north, called
Pablo : This originates at a fmall diftance from
St. Marks or North River, and empties into St.
^ Johns at a fmall diftance from the mouth. The
■water of this river is good, fo is the land on it -, and
it is thought that a communication with St. Mark's
or the North River might be effected without
much difficulty : this would open an inland navi-
gation by canoes or boats, all the way from Ca-
rolina to near the Mufketo.
The river St. Mary although it is faid to origi-
iiate in the jEkanphanakin fwamp has a current
of fine clear and wholefome water fupplied from
the pine lands through which it flows, with many
iinefprings, runs, and rivulets of very clear water,
NafTau has alfo the fame bleffings, but doth not
jpring far diftant from the fea. On Amelia Ifland
near the fea, is a very good fpring, which makes
a fine ftream for fome miles, dividing the ifland al-
jnofl:
^ 37 )
moft into two ; but below the iprlng its water is
not commendable. On the beach betwen St.
John*s and St. Auguftine, at or near a place called
the Horfeguards, there are three good fprings
running into the fea, and in every part where the
beach is clear fand, water is obtained by digging.
About four miles north of St. Auguftine rifes St.
Sebaftian's Creek, being a good frefh fpring, it
foon joins a creek in fait marlhes, and at a fmall
diftance from town it becomes very large and
deep ; it empties into St. Anaftafia's Sound two
miles fouth of St. Auguftine, making a Peninfula
of this territory nearly in form gf a crefcent •, three
miles farther fouth is the mouth of the river St.
Nicholas not very confiderable •, St. Cecilia in the
fame found, the North weft, fouth of the Matanfa
and Penon ; the Tomoke and Spruce Creek in
the Muflceto Lagoon, and in fhort every river and
creek in the country except thofe above named,
are excellent wholefome water; thus much i fup-
pofe will fuffice as to the nature and quality of
the water : All the rivers and fprings in Weft
Florida are good.
The aborigines of the country come moft natu-
rally under our next confideration, no one is ig-
norant, that the epithet of indians is given to thofe
people, though no doubt, the French name of
favage is a much more proper one, as the man-
ners of the red men are in every refped fuch as
betray that difpofition, and fliew the favage thro*
the beft wrought veil of civilization •, we might
call them Americans, as the inhabitants of the old
world are each diftinguiftied by a name expreflive
of, or relative to the quarters, from which they
re^edively originate, but this would be con-
founding
( 38 )
founding them with the other natives, as wdf-
white as black, which i think by no means rear
fonable.
Oldmixon with all his failings is undoubtedly
the only writer, who fpeaks with truth and per-
tinence on this fubje6t ; all other Englilh, French,
and Spanifli authors, which have fallen in my way
(and they are not a few) have made of this ftory
a confufed heap of nonfenfe and fallhood -, i fhall
relate what i know and have found from real ex-
perience among four or five nations, and as i can
vouch for the fimilarity, that will be found among
them, i believe my reader will be of my opinio^,
that from one end of America to the other, the
red people are the fame nation and draw their ori-
gin from a different fource, than either Europe-
ans, Chinefe, Negroes, Moors, Indians, or any
other different fpecies of the human genus, of
which i think there are many fpecies, as well as
among molt other animals, and that they are not
a variety occafioned by a commixture of any of
the above fpecies muft alfo appear.
The above account will perhaps raife a conjec-
ture that i believe the red men are not come from
the weft ward out of the eaft of Afia-, i do not
believe it, i am firmly of opinion, that God cre-
ated an original man and woman in this part of
the globe, of difi^erent fpecies from any in the
other parts, and if per chance in the Ruffian do-
minions, there are a people of fimilar make and
manners, is it not more natural to think they were
colonies from the numerous nations on the conti-
nent of America, than to imagine, that from the
•fmall comparative number of thofe Ruffian fub-
jeds, fuch a vaft country Ihould have been fo nu-
meroufiy
( 39 )
riieroufly peopled, and by what we know from
the geographical difcoveries that have been made
within this century, it was undoubtedly eafier for
thefe people to have crofTed out of America into
Afia, than it was for the white people we find in
l^abrador to come from Lapland, yet who will
deny that a Laplander and Efkimaux are of the
fame original ftock; add to this, that i have both
facred and prophane hiftory, befides daily expe-
rience on my fide to prove, that population, as well
as all other things we find in nature, have always
moved from the eaftward, and ftill continue fo to
do, why then fhould we infill on one pa'i"t of this
'fyftem to move in a retrograde way, when for a
further proof we find, by what we learn from the
favages that have been far to the northweft, tha't
fome white people anfwering to the Japonefe,
fometimes come on that coaft, but do not ftay,
nor have ever attempted colonization.
But alas ! what a people do we find them, a
jpeople not only rude and uncultivated, but inca-
pable of civilization : a people that would think
themfelves degraded in the loweft degree, werfc
they to imitate us in any refpe(5t whatever, and
that look down on us and all our manners with
the higheft contempt : and of whom experience
has taught us, that on the leaft opportunity they
will return like the dog to his vomit. See there
the boafted, the admired ftate of nature, in which
thefe brutes enjoy and pafs their time here ! How
juftly did the above named author exclaim : —
" Let the learned fay all the fine things that wit,
** ^eloquence, and art can infpire them with, of
" the fimplicity of pure nature, and its beauty
V: and innocence, thefavage wretches of America
" are
C 40 )
" ai'e an inftance, that this innocence is a
*' downright ftupiclity, and this pretended beau-
•' ty a deformity, which puts man, the Lord of-
'* the creation, on an equal foot (yea below) the
*' brute beads of the fields and forefts.
In defcribing a people an hifiorian is obliged to
fpeak as they generally are-. Dr. Blackwell, draw-
ing confequences from what he imagined a ftate
of nature to be (and what i believe it may have
been) among moft of the nations on the old con-
tinent, fays:
" In the infancy of Hates, men generally re-
" femble the publick conftitution, they have on->
" ly that turn, which the rough culture of ac-
" cidents, perhaps difmal enough, through which
*' they have paffed, could give them, they are ig-
" norant and undefigning, governed by fear,
*' and fuperflition its companion •, there is a vaft
" void in their minds, they know not what will
" happen, nor according to what tenor things
*' will take their courfe, every new objed finds
" them unprepared, and they gaze and Hare like
*' infants taking in their firil ideas of light." ,
How oppofite is the favage, he is cunning and
defigning, knows no fear, nor has he any idea of
religion to make him fuperilitious, on the contra-
ry, the pretended conjurer who lives with him,
runs a perpetual rifque of his life, he has no void
in his mind, but is very deliberate and careful in
his mifchief and cruelty •, the ftudy of what may
occur in the next war or hunting feafon always
employs him, he can ever fo plan his fchemes, as
to be certain of his future fafety, and fuccefs ;
without this laft he neither undertakes nor rifks
any thing \ new objeds are but a momentary fur-
prize
r 41 )
prize to him, and his gazing ^nd flaring always
end in fovereign contempt.
But to demonftrate more clearly the contraft be-
tween a favage and the people of the old conti-
nent, i beg leave to obferve a few things, which
have fallen under my infpedion and confideration,
which i apprehend will be thought pertinent to
this purpofe : A favage comes into this world
with all the poiTibility of oppofition to us ; his
mother on her approaching labour, retires 'from
all company, aid, or afTiftance, into fome lone-
feme wood, and there without perceptible pain or
mconvenience, difburthens herfelf, goes into cold
water to cleanfe herfelf and her offspring, and re-
turns to her daily vocation.
A favage has the moft determined refolution
againll labouring or tilling the ground, the flave
his wife muft do that, and a boy of feven or eio-ht
years old is alhamed to be feen in his mothlr's
company. No greater difgrace can be thrown
on a man than calling him by the odious epithet
of Woman ; what other nation do we find fo ab-
folutely neglefting agriculture ? What people are
alhamed to be leen eating or drinking in company
with the fairer fex ? r /
Our women carry their children with their fa-
ces towards their own, a fhe favage puts the back
of hers towards her own back. When we nM&
fire we pile the fuel parrallel to eagji other;
the favage puts his wood in a circular form, lio-hts
the central ends, and by the help of oqe of tie
Iticks, which he fhoves always to the center te
keeps it in. " ' ' '■■■'■ ^ ^^
We make war in an opeii l^a\^ wiy^ ¥|a\^
by hiding himieJffufprize^^: 'Wpmkxfixe^^
F ■ ^ . of
( 42 ) ^
of life, the piifoner of a lavage is fure to die by
cruel tortures. When we take a fv/eat, we keep
ourfelves warm with the utmoft care ; a favage
with his open pores, plunges head long into the
almoil frozen river, or into a hole in the ice if
quite frozen.
A favage man difcharges his urine in a fitting
pofture, and a lavage woman ftanding, i need
not tell how oppofite this is to our common prac-
tice.
A favage never eats faked meats, nor boils any '
thing in faked water, though he has fait in abun-
dance, but when he has been along while from
fait and then gets it, he will frequently eat a.
pound of it without any thing elfe. A favage ei-
ther buries none of his dead, or if he does he puts
the body in a fitting or ftandiug pofture •, in a
word, if they had always ftudied to be in contraft
with us, they could not be more fo, than nature ,
has made them.
0 Deus! homines et homines creavijii.
All favages, with whom i have been acquaint-
ed, are, generally fpeaking, well made, of a good
ftature, and neatly limbed ; crooked, lame, or
othei-v/ife deformed perfons are feldom or never
feen among thefe people; and if per chance we
find a favage labouring under thefe misfortunes,
"vve always find them accidental, never natural.
^ Their colour refembles that of cinnamon, with a
; copper ilk cali-i they are born white, but retain
^'i,hat hiie'aVery fhort time; their hair is lank,
"tfrong, bTack, and long-, they prevent tke growth
^ of ^katTittle beard nature has given them, by
p.luGking,it oi-xtbvj the roots^v -they never fuffer
'^iiy h^^^95C^.a^ p^r^vof .^he body except
( 43 ) .
the head, their eyes are black, lively and pierc-
ing, and they are blefied with an amazing faculty
of difcovering objeds at a vaft diftance; their
teeth are very good, and to the laft they retain
them, being never fubjed to the tooth ach ; they
are ftrong and adlive, patient in hunger and
the fatigue of hunting and journeying, but im-
patient and incapable of bearing labour, they are
incredibly fwift of foot ; their difcourfe is gene-
rally of v/ar, hunting, or indecency; their wo-
men are handfome, well made, only wanting the
colour and cleanlinefs of our ladies, to make
them appear" lovely in every eye; their ftrength
is great, and they labour hard, carrying very
heavy burdens a great diftance ; they are lafcivi-
ous, and have no idea of chaftity in a girl, but
in married women, incontinence is feverely pu-
nilhed -, a favage never forgives that crime. They
are capable of an attachment, rather than a friend-
fhip ; addifted to lying in a high degree •, their
feeming candour and fimplicity is an effed of dif-
fimulation ; they know how to fave appearances,
and will always find ways to cover their knavilh,
thieving tricks-, their notions of faith and honour
arefuch as make them violate their word of pro-
mife, even when they are in treaty, unlefs com-
pelled to be true by fear or force. They are bru-
tal and have not the moft diftant idea of decorum ;
• without tafte they are terrible drunkards, in which
laft ftate, there is no villany nor crime, they will
not commit, and when they recover their fenfes,
throw the blame on the liquor, holding themfelves
entirely excufed ; no religion of any kind can we
trace among them. PofTeffed of indifference and
want of fentiment, they drag themfelves through
a
( 44 )
a kind of life, which would make uspafs our
days very irkfomely, and tire . us in a fhort time
with the difagreeable fimilitude of our hours ; in
a word, they have nothing in their way of life to
tempt a m^an of the leafl refledion, to envy them
their miferable flate of nature.
But with all thefe bad qualities, they have one
virtue, which is hofpitaiity, and this they carry to
excefs ; a favage will fhare his laft ounce of meat
with a vifitant flranger. What travellers have
related of their giving their daughters to tranfient
perfons, is not true, and it is not till after fome
acquaintance, that they will give a white man,
what they call a wife, unlefs he choofes an aban-
doned proilitute, which are here to be 'found as,
^ell a-s elfewhere. Among the nations, which i
have frequented, a young ftranger (led away by
the notion of this traveller's ftory) that would
attempt, on his firft acquaintance, to aik a man
for his daughter, might pay dear for it. The
Chaftaws, who have a greater idea of a meum and
tuum than any of their neighbours, are not fo
hofpitable as they ; but although they will on this
principle require pay for even the lealt morfel,
they fet before one, yet the fame idea of proper-
ty has taken off much of their favage difpofitions
in many other cafes.
. I cannot think it foreign to my fubjefl to men-
tion, before i proceed to the particular defcripti-
on of each nation, fomething farther about the
origin of the native Americans: Great pains
have been taken to prove thefe people defcended
from the Ph^nicians j am<^g others i find an ano-
nimous Gentleman, who gravely tells us, that
Phicnkians or Erythrems in Greek, carry the fame
fcnfe
{ 45 )
fenfe as Efau or Edc?n in Hebrew, botli meaning
red, hence that nation was red, fo.are the fsva-
ges, ergo, they are the fame people; as ridicu-
lous as this argument is, the pains taken to iliew
that the extenfive navigation of the Ph^-nidans
amounts to a proof of their having croiTed rhe
Atlantic to America, is no lefs void of fenfe, al-
though far fetched annotations are made ufe of to
prove their naval power, by Camhyj'es being o-
bliged to renounce liis defign on Carthage^ by rea-
fon of the Thanicians refuling to put to fea, yet
neither that, nor the proof of their having built
Leptis, Utica, Hippo, Adrumetum, on the African
continent, nor CaJis, and Tartejjus in Europe, or
their colonizations in Iberia, and Lybia, nor ail
the power afcribed to them by C^r/;«j, feems in the
leaft to indicate any tranfit to this weftern world.
Equally abford are the reveries of Comtaiis, of
thofe who conftrue the ifland difcovered by the
Phasnicians (which Diodoms Siculus mentions L. 6
C. 7, and the palfages of Pliny L. 5 C. i and
Pomponius Mela L. i C. 4) likewife the common
wealth of the alegorical dialogue between Midss
and , Silenus by Theopcmpus, and the quotation of
Paufanias concerning the difcovery of the Satyri-
deshy Euphemius oi'Caria) into America-, d\hBoffk
father Laffiteau, du Praiz, and others, as the m-
futation of thefe would be uninterelling and tliere-
fore tedious, i fli all content my felf with having
only mentioned them, and proceed to take fomc
notice of the more general hypothefis -, that the
favages are the dijperfions of the ten lofi tribes of
JfraeL - ^^,
We are told, that the Americans agree in ma-
ny of their cuftoms with the Jews 3 but in which?
We
( 46 )
We fee not the fmallefl fimilarity In any of their
ways, unlefs the feperation of women among the
Chicafaws, at the time of their Catamenia; but
not to urge how naturally this fafhion might
point itfelf out, and its beipg confined to one
fmall tribe only, let us argue a little on the jew-
ifh grand and chara6leriftic ceremony ofs circum-
cifion, of v/hich the boldeft genealogift in this
way, cannot find any the leaft mark, nor traces
among thofe people. How have the jews ne-
glected to introduce this fign of the covenant
here, when they have made it obtain among fo
many of the Eafterns where they lived even as
flaves and exiles ; and they always thought their •
falvation dependent thereon ? How many tribes
in Africa ftill retain that cuftom, though with-
out any other of the Ifralitifh rites, which they
have forgot ? but where can we difcover even the
mofl: diftant appearance of this ceremony in Ame-
rica ?
Jufi: fo is it with that pretended migration to
Affareth^ as micntioned in the fourth book of
Efdras^ in the thirteenth chapter-, but without
infilling on the apocryphal quality of this evi-
dence, i would only afi<:, why this y^r^/i? fliould
be more America, than any other far diftant
country ? And how they found their way by the
Euphrates to this continent ? Further it is evi-
dent, that St. Jerome (who fiouriflied under 'The-
cdofius in the latter end of the fourth century,
lived in Afia., and held a clofe correfpondence
with the Jews, for the fake of learning their lan-
guage) plainly tells us in his Ezech : L. 5, and
Jerem : L. 6, that thofe very ten tribes, were then
groaning under the fevere yoke of flavery, in the
cities
( 47 )
cities of Media and Ferfia\ this i judge to be
proof enough to invalidate this journey to Ajfareth^
and rank it along with the fables of the lofs of the ,
whole law, the confinement of fouls in fubterra-
neous apartments, and v/ith the childifli tales of
Behemoth and Leviathan in tlie fame fourth book
of EJdras.
Yet, as a farther proof of the fallhood of this
American expedition, by the ten tribes of Ifrae!^
I would beg leave to afk my readers, whether
they can imagine, that fo prodigious a migration
could poffibly happen at a time of the moft defpe-
rate wars, and defolations in the very countries
through which they muft neceffarily pafs, for it
is evident, that fince St. Jerome's time, although
the Perfians had again regained their empire, yet
for feveral centuries together, they were con-
ftantly warring with the Romans, Indians, and
other Eaftern nations, and laftly with the Saracens.
'Till the famous Tartarian expedition under Zen-
gis Chan, this, whole country fwam in the blood
of its natives, and before this period, the Greci-
an wars, the conquefts of Alexander, with the di-
vifions of his captains at his death, furnilHed as
little opportunity for this journey, which alfo
muft have been ftrangely overlooked, by fuch a
number of hiftorians of credit, as fiourilhed dur-
ing the above fpace of time. I could with as
much force of argument invalidate Emanuel de
Moras (a Spaniard;) who, to prove that Ameri-
ca is peopled from Carthage, and by the Jews,
makes numerous far fetched comparifons, of the
manners of thefe nations and the Brazilians •, nor
can i think, that after this, any of the favourers
of this Jewifh anceftry will infift, that the natives
of
( 48 )
of America are delcended from the other two
tribes, fince they were not only not allowed to lee the
land of their fathers, even in quality of travellers,
but on pain of death, were they forbid to allemble
in large companies, which it was however ne-
ceilary they iliould do for fuch a migration ; but
i am afraid my reader, as well as myfelf, is by
this time tired of fo much argumentation againft
fo filly an Hypothefis.
No lefs idle is the argument ufed by Grotius
concerning the Mexicans telling the Spaniards,
that they came out of the North, where he thinks
to find the Norwegian dcfcent in the city Norum-
hega^ but who can find in North America, traces
ol' any ancient city at all? That the Americans
divide their time by nights (or fleeps, as they
ftile them) is true, alfo their dipping new born
intants in cold water, their going naked, and
their eating feparate from the women, with many j
other cuftoms of the favages, fimilar to the anci- '
ent manners of th^ Germans, but this only proves
to me, that in the times of Tmtus and tlie other
Roman hiftorians, the Teutonick natbns were in as
favage a flate of nature, as we nov/ fee the Ame-
ricans ; a famenefs in colour, and ftature, as well
as, or rather than fimilarity of Languages is to
me a requifite proof, and for that reafon i believe,
that the Efiimaux came from Lapland^ but by
what accident, we are ignorant of, and fo we
might guefs at fome eventual pafTage of the red
favages, were we able to trace any fimilarity be-
tween them and any nation of the old v^orld,
■ but we fee none^ yet all the iflands of America,
e^en New Zealand^ are peopled by the fame race
«s this valt continent i therefore i will rather fup-
pofe.
( 49 )
pofe, that the favages, have fent out colonics,
than that they are a colony from any other part
of the earth. The fame Gentleman endeavours
to fetch the Peruvians from China ^ but with as
little foundation in truth. Mr. Powell's ftory of
Maddock the Wellhman's voyage, cannot b«
thought fit, to afcribe a Welfli origin to the fava-
ges, becaufe they could by no means either grow to
fuch numbers, nor degenerate fo much in colour,
as they muft have done, in two centuries ; yet
even this has been made ufe of by a certain Dutch
writer, whofe name i do not now recollect ; and
how unluckily does Bojfu here bring forth the
black headed Pinguin, to prove that the Welfh
word Pen-gwin, was given to this bird for a name,
by Maddock's followers, becaufe Pen is head,
and gwyn is white, and Mr. Fofter in his note on
that paflage, is as unlucky in faying Penguin is
Spanifh for a fat bird.
I find a more powerful argument ufed by thofe
who bring the favages from Tartary -, becaufe i
do not at all doubt, from my judgment of
geography, that America joins Afia ; but the ex-
pedition of Hoccota^ the fon of Canguijla^ firft
King of the Tartars, as mentioned by Michakn
Lituanus, in his Ennead 9, L. 6, which has like-
wife been conftnied to have reached America, is
alfo too late to allow them time to become fo nu-
merous a people •, becaufe this man lived about
the year 1240; but although i believe a poflibili-
ty of the paflage by land, yet i cannot find, that
there is any fimilarity in the perfons of the North
Eaftern Tarters. and the American favages, and
much lefs in their manners -, and if there is be-
tween thofe of Kamfchatka and Arnprica, i ftill
G thyik,
( 50 )
think, that the firll are more naturally to be fup-
pofed a fmall colony from the latter, than that the
latter prodigious numerous people are fprung
from fo fmall a tribe as the Kamfchatkans ; every
one of the red men over the whole continent, and
thofe who ftill remain in a few of the iflands, is
exadly fimiiar in perfon to his neighbour, and
their numbers are to this day vafbly great, not-
withftanding the cruel depredations of the feveral
European nations.
The contemptible light, in which Bojfu en-
deavours to place the number of the favages, is
well confuted by Mr. Hutchin's account of the
nations near our fettlements, who having mutu-
ally ^eftroyed each other, and been deftroyed by
the fword, and liquid fire of the Europeans, at a
ftiocking rate, yet amount by that Gentleman's
moderate calculation, even at this day, to near
three hundred thoufand fouls -, therefore it is not
their fmall number, but the vaft extent of this
continent, that caufes their nomadic life.
But to treat more particularly againft this no-
tion, of the American defcent from the Tartars,
who can fuppofe that their darling animal, as
well for food, labour, and war, as other ufes, i
mean the horfe, fhould not have been brought
along with the colony ? Who knows not, that
the Tartars ufe moll, and can leaft fpare this no-
ble creature ? Does not all their martial power
confift in horfemen ? Does not their very main-
tenance depend on horfes ? Have we not fuffici-
ent proof, that many Tartarian Lords keep hun-
dreds of horfes, and even liable them }
None are fo poor as not to have two or tliree;
tvhen they fhift their abode, do not horfes carry
their
( 5> )
their tents and provifions ? When all other food
fails them, garlick and mare's milk is their re-
fourcci the very blood out of the veins of thefc
animals fupplies the place of an agreeable drink j
what ftream lb rapid which they do not crofs on
their horfes backs, or by holding their manes,
and guiding them with a twig, while they fwim
at their fide? making a fmall raft of their bag-
gage, they tie it to the tail, and thus crofs every
river in their way •, a horfe's Ikin malces a boat
to crofs a very wide river, lake, or even an arm
of the fea ; the fuppofed narrow divifion between
Afia and America, near Cape Tchukfhi, could
then by no means, be an obftacle to the tranf-
portation of thefe animals ; the divifion of tlje fe-
veral places, named by Bojfu^ through earth-
quakes, is abfurdly introduced, to prove that this
migration happened before fuch a convulfion
of nature, which prevented the return of any
of thefe emigrants. A Tartarian army ap-
pears larger than it is, on account of each man
having two or three horfes ; and notwithilanding
their horfes die by the fword, or are killed for
food, yet many thoufands are yearly delivered to
Rujfia^ by the European Tartars only ; this much
premiied, how had the favages no horfes on the
arrival of the Spaniards ? Had the Tartars in-
habited a country near America, the very horfes
would have increafed fo as to come over to this
continent; how many inftances do we find even
among the fettled provinces of America, of horfes
going wild! but the greateft proof, that this
muft have infallibly happened, is to be found in
South America, where now many millions ane
found wild, in the great plains fouth of Brazil,
cfpecially
( 52 )
cfpccially near Rio de la Plata ; yet thefe take
their origin from the Northern America, and have
crofled vaft mountains -, how came it then, that
a dozen or two of horfemen routed myriads of Ame-
ricans ? only one objedtion remains to be confuted ;
there may be an arm of the fea between Afia and
America, and this colony came by water; but
can it even then be fuppofed, that thefe people
would have forgot their favoutite horfes ? or will
any fay that if the horfes could come by land,
yet every climate does not maintain them •, one
iiimmer would fuffice for the journey: A horfe
when travelling alone, is experienced to go very
faft forward on his journey, and we learn alfo
from the fame great teacher (experience) that
thoufands of horfes in North America, even
breeding mares, live in the woods in deep fnows,
through hard winters, without human affiftance ;
but no, thefe Tartars could not bring horfes,
nor other ufeful animals, and yet a colony of
Panthers, Lynxes, Wolves, Foxes, Otters, and
other deftrudive animals mull be fuppofed to
have found their way as well as thefe emigrants.
Here language is tortured into a proof; a certain
Abraham a Mylis has found out, that in the em-
pire of Cathay^ which lays neareft America, they
fpeak the '^teutonic dialed, and this fame empire
being divided, into feven provinces, theEaftermoft
is called Tendhuk, very like to bet eynde des
hoeks^ or the end of the point, and Anyan is
very like, Aangang^ or paflage (a paflage to be
fure out of Tartary, to America-,) again beyond
Anyan, is the vaft country ofBergo, this certainly
is very much like Bergen, or Iheltering, becaufe
the Scythians leaving theirnative cguntry, IheU
tered
( 53 )
tered themfelves here; fine Etymology ! noble
Geography! (rifum teneatis amici I )
The pafiage from Afia to America, is by no
means proved by the pretended Elephants bones
found in the fwamp near Ohio, fmce by later ob-
fervations, and examinations of the bones, by
men of more knowledge than the meer vulgar,
they appear never to have belonged to elephants,
but more probably are the remains of fome Hip-
popotami^ efpecially as near that river, the Indians,
often at this day, difcover large foot fteps, and
hear great bellowings, both proceeding from ani-
mals they never fee themfelves.
I think if Mr. Bojfu had obliged us with the
knowledge of the particular nation that calls the
Ginfeng* Gardogiien^ he would have thrown more
light on his far fetched notion of the parallel
betv/een the Tartars and Savages -, and fince he
has himfelf invalidated the pretended etymology,
i would beg leave to deal with his funilar fignifi-
cations in the fame manner, for why Ihould not
the fame idea ftrike Bojfus's nation and the Mant-
cheoux Tartars upon light of the Ginfeng, and
make both compare it to men's thighs .? But as
but one nation among fo many has accepted this
idea, it cannot be allowed, even as the moll
diftant proof ^ the fable of the Efcaaniba by BolTu
alfo, is too ridiculous and abfurd to merit confu-
tation.
Nothing now remains, but a few words about
the migration of the Chinefe into Peru, from
whence fome fuppofe America is peopled, but
how different the colour and figure of the peo^
pie ! and where do we find any Chinefe fineffe a-
mong the favages.? befides, what Geographer
* Paoax Qulniiuefoliuni doCS
'' 54 )
dots not know that the Chinefe might more ea-
fily, have come over to theeaftern fhore of Ame-
rica, acrofs the Atlantic, than over the wilder,
wider, and more ftormy South Sea, to land on
Perus's or Chilts*s unhoiipitable Ihore, where our
large European veffels can fcarcely live, much
lefs a Chinefe junk ; nor did the Peruvians know
any thing of large Veffels till the arrival of the
Spaniards; ftrange indeed, that their naval
knowledge, and mother country, fhould be thus
forgotten ! the more fo, as it is much eafier, to
go from America to China^ than the contrary,
by reafon of the conftant eafterly winds reigning
here, which alfo make it more improbable that
the Chinefe vellels came here by chance, or llrefs
of weather; nor could they in thai cafe, but by
chance, be provided with the provifions neceffary
for fo long a voyage.
Methinks i hear fome critical perfon fay,
whence then came the favages ? That indeed, is
a difficult queftion to anfwer-, it is eafier to con-
fute the difl'erent opinions, than to fay any thing
with certainty on this head, more especially as
thefe people want all manner of record; yet a
tolerable guefs may be made to extricate us out
of this difficult labyrinth.
Without doubt Mofes's account of the Creati-
on is true, but why ffiould this Hiftorian's books,
in this one thing, be taken fo univerfaily, when
he evidently has confined himfelf to a kind of
chronicle concerning one fmall part of the earth,
and in this to one nation only; this account
therefore muft be underftood widi the fame limi-
tation as many others in holy writ are generally
allowed to be; i think therefore that (as menti-
oned
( 55 )
oned before) we do not at all derog^e from God*s
greatnefs, nor in any ways difhonour the facred
evidence given us by his fervants, when we
think, that there were as many Adams and Eves
(every body knows thefe names to have an alle-
gorical fenfe) as we find different Ipecies c^ the
human genus ; is this not a more natural way,
agreeing more .with the proceedings of a God d
order, than^the filly fuppofitions that the variety
is an effe6l of chance, much lefs a confcquence of
curfes ?. the more fo, as neither has any foun-
dation in God's holy word ; why muft we think
that the curfes of a head of a family, lliould ef-
jfed: each race with a peculiar fet of features, and
fhape of body ? Or one tribe with a red, a fe-
cond with a fallow, a third with a yellow, and a
fourth with a black colour, ,&c? Befides we
read of but one curfe of this kind ; they are dif-
ferent fpecies then. Anatomy has taught us,
that the bone of a Negroe's llcull, is always black,
that befides the 'Tunics of which our fkins are
compofed, they have an additional one, confift-
"ng of numerous veficles, filled wish a black
nk-like humour ; fee here then two chara(3:er-
fticks, befides the blacknefs of the fl^^in, where-
by this fable race is diftinguilhed -, may not ex-
perience teach us, that when the other fpecies
are more carefully examined, they will all be
found to have fome fuch peculiar character of
diftindiion? Why then fhall we involve our-
felves into numberlefs, needlefs difficulties about
the origin of thefe fo fingular people, fo very dif-
ferent from all other tribes on the globe, yet io
very fimilar to each other: Throughout their
own continent their wild manners are univerfally
alike;
( 56 )
alike; their languages only differ-, why then can
we not take the more eafy way in faying, God
has created an original pair here as well as elfe-
where: Is not this opinion fupported by our
finding numberlefs other kinds of the animal
kingdom on this continent peculiar to itfelf;
where (befides in America) do we find the Bos
Americanus? Where the Paca^ SLndFecunba (both
American fheep?) where the Urfu^, Lufcus or
racoon, the Armadillo^ the Agouti, the Lacerta
Americana, called Leguana? the Ignavo (an a-
nimal called the American Sloth?) where the
fame kind of Simi^, and the Vefpertilio Cynoce-
phalus ? where the Warri or the Pecairi (two
fpecies of the Stis'^) The many kinds of Myr-
mecophaga, the Mus Marfupialis, Mus Scalopes, Mus
Paluftris hifpidiis, of the fame kind, as thofe in
America ? Where again the Struthio Americanus,
or the immenfe variety of the Pfittacus, peculiar
to America ? Where the Toucan, the Ph^nicop-
teros and Arqpiato, with the red Platea ? Where
the beautiful wood duck, and the kinds of ^ha-
fianus called ^ama and Curafoa} Where the
little Mellifuga, or the beautiful, and remarkable
aquatic Mufcophagus, called a fun bird ? and ma-
ny more of the quadruped and winged tribes,
large and fmall, too tedious to enumerate ?
Where again the rattle Snake, and others of the
reptile kind? Even among Fifhes, the fame
obfervation holds -, has Pli7iy among all his fabu-
lous animals, defcribed any like thefe really ex-
ifting ones ?
Again, whence was America flocked with men
in our likenefs? Where were the oxen, the
horfes, the fwine, dogs, cats, or even rats ? or
where
( 57 )
where were our poultry to be found on this con-
tinent? Yet we fee how immenfely they have
multiplied fince their firft importation, fo that
the air and food are certainly well adapted to
them-, a wife effedl of providence, which knew
this quarter muft one day become inhabited by
animals not originally created in it.
What can now be faid againft this my argu-
ment for a feparate origin of the favages ? No-
thing that will amount to an abfolute proof of
the contrary. But a difficulty arifes as to the ef-
fe6t of the deluge; to remove which i muft
obferve, that America, even in its mountains, re-
tains very few if any of the fo often quoted marks
of this inundation •, on the contrary, it is a fmooth
regularly rifmg country ; and i think, that to
believe the flood fo far partial, as to have reach-
ed the only lands of Egypt, Palefiine^ Armenia, and
Greece, is by no means an abfurd opinion, nor
inconfiftent with the 'deftruftion of the race of
men of which Mofes treats, nor with the water
being fifteen cubits above the higheft hill then
known, fuppofed to be Arrarat ; and had it been
abfolutely univerfal, yet the Andes, CcrdileraSy
Aceytas, and Santa Martha, are many hundred
cubits higher and confequently, might remain
a vaft way dry ; but grant the deluge univerfal,
who will difpute with me, that the omnipotent
Lord of the univerfe could create a red man after
his own image, fuffer him to fall as well as a
white man, deftroy his pofterity except a few,
and find a way to fave a remnant of man and
beaft, and then for reafons, into which we havg
no right to enter, any more than the clay has to
contend with the potter, leave this race witho^
H extending ♦
( 5S )
extending his tender mercies to them, as he did
to us, not even fending his apollles into this
quarter of the world-, and when the chriftians,
fo called, arrived here firfl, to fu&er the pretend-
ed Miflionaries to preach a falfe, abfurd doftrine
to thofe wretches, nay, even to this day to harden
their hearts againft the light drawn from under a
bulhel, and placed conlpicuoully on a candie-
ftick.
However among none of the favages do we
find any tradition of fuch a flood, except among
lome fouthern nations, who tell of fix perfons
creeping out of a hole, whereby the earth was
peopled •, thefe have been conftrued into Noah's
ions and dieir wives.
The Cha^laws have told me of a hole between
their nation and the Chicafaws, out of which
their whole very numerous nation walked forth
at once, witliout fo much as warning any neigh-
bours; i cannot find any relation between this
and a deluge : On the IJihmus of Darien i have
indeed been warned by the favages of an ap-
proaching flood on a certain day, and when i had
ftayed till then and faw the ^vznt to be nothing,
i ridiculed them about it ; and they told me that
a great while ago they had fuch an inundation,
and that their Sukies or conjurors, had foretold a
fimilar one now, but had proved themfelves ly-
ars ; this is the only hint i could ever trace of any
notion of a great flood-, and i leave my reader to
judge of the weaknefs or force of this evidence,
and of the juflinefs of the opinion advanced,
which i offer only becaufe i think that truth
fhould be the objed of man's enquiries, and
tliat God has given us the only advantage we
have
( 59 )
have over brutes, in order to fpur us on to en-
quiries into the myfteries of nature.
I fhall now treat of the four moil noted nati-
ons conne6t:ed with Florida in particular, begin-
ning with the Chicafaws, they being (although
a fmall tribe) accounted the mother nation on
this part of the continent, and their language,
\iniverfally adopted by mofl, if not all the weft-
ern nations. This is the moft fierce, cruel, infolent,
and haughty people, among the fouthern nati-
ons ; they are very intrepid in the wars with their
Meridional neighbours, and the French under
Meffi-s. Artaguette and Bienvilky in 1736 expe-
rienced their valour (when aided by a few En-
glilhmen of tried courage) and in 1752, and
1753, yi^&rs. Benoijl and Reggia Yiktwik found
them fuccefsful to their coft ; but with the nor-
thern nations \t ftands otherways; the Kikapoos^
Piancashas and others are their terror; notivith-
Itanding their boaft of fcaips from the northward,
it has appeared that, except ibme private murders
among nations, who think the infult to come from
fome other quarter, and fome flaves and fcaips
obtained from the daftardly CMgtagih^ they have
really not been able io much as to find the Kika-
■pooSy Piancashay Wyogiam^ Sbegteys^ Mupiiiahey.^
Otogami towns; this appeared clearly while i was
m th.^ Chicafaw nation m the winter of 1771 anc '
1772, when one Mr. James (who had been ;
prifoner with the KikapoQs, for the Ipace of thre'
years, and had found means to efcape from them
arrived there, and told, that in ail that time ne
ver one of the Chicalaws appeared, or did mil
chief among thele nations, nor could he kar:
they ever did; yet it is evident that thefe aam
to
( 6o )
to the very Chicafaw towns to commit depredati-
ons, as well as in their hunting grounds, where
the Chicafaws always take care to fortify them-
felves.
It is alfo obfervable, that to the north of their
towns they never venture any plantations, and to
the fouthward they have many ; nay they fcarcely
venture to get fire wood north of their habitati-
on ; in Ihort they have never lliewn their brave-
ry but againft the Chaftaws and Creeks, with
the French their allies ; the Northerns have al-
ways been their mafcers, and the Arkanfas and
Catawhas their match •, the Cherokees have gene-
rally had the woril of the wars between them ;
they have always been {launch allies to the-Eng-
lifh, but i think there is no very great depend ance
to be had on them now, for i can (not without
reafon) affirm, that that alliance was all owing to
the French being their irreconcilable, and mortal
enemies j now thefe are out of the way, little re-
liance is to be had on them ; and in the winter
of 1 77 1 and 1772, the traders were under daily
apprehenfions of a quarrel. It is true that thofe
monfters in human form, the very fcUm and out
caft of the earth, are always more prone to favage
barbarity than the favages themfelves ; but it is
no lefs true, that the traders were of as diffolute a
life, and of as profligate manners, with as great
an inclination for deceit and over reaching during
the French time, as they are now ; but then the
policy of thefe favages curbed their thoughts of
revenge; whereas now they frequently dare to
vent threats of a difagreeable nature, which are
the more dangerous becaufe thofe favage politici-*
ans are always very much upon their guard when
they
( 6. )
they are treating with our men in office, how
they behave themfelves in this refpedt, well
knowing that the ancient fame of their faithful
alliance is fufficiently rooted in the hearts of the
open minded Englifh, to enable them to impofe
on their credulity.
As an inftance of Chicafaw honour or faith,
which is indeed equal to that of any nation of
American favages whatever-, i would mention
tlie tryal that has been made for concluding an
union between the Arkanfas^ ^lappas, or Kappas.,
and the Chicafaws ; the firft attempted at leail an
alliance with the latter fo long ago as 1764, but
no kind of folemn embafTy, or deputation was
employed for the efFefting this before the fummer
1 77 1, and then at this meeting the infolence of
the Chicafaws run lb high, as to infult one of the
^uapa deputies by calling him a woman, and fpit-
ting rum in his face, which was put up with;
but the Arkatifas never have made an attempt to
finifli the treaty fmce, and i dare venture to fore-
tell, that fuch an union would by no means be
for our good, let it happen when it may.
The morals of this nation are more corrupt
than thofe of any of tlieir neighbours •, the Chac-
taws are faid to iDe thieves, but i can affure the
reader that the Chicafaws are a thoufand times
more fo -, i have liad ample proof of it by lofmg
incomparably more in one day at the Chicafaw
town than i did in two months going through fe-
venty four Chadav/ towns, notwithllanding i had
been warned, and was on my guard againft the
Chicafaws j my razors and a cafe of inftruments,
and other trifles of no real ufe to them, befides
every horfe i had with me, vanilhed in one day
amona
( 62 )
among thefe deceitful people. Their difconrfe is
really intolerable^ nothing but filth is heard
from them; the vanity of being accounted great
hunters and warriors has the better af every con-
fideration, and rather than condefcend to culti*
vate the earth (which they think beneath them)
they will fit and toy with their women ; or if
they fend them to labour, they play on an auk-
ward kind of flute made of a cane, lolling thus
their time away with great indifference, which
obliges them yearly to apply for corn and puHe
to the Chac^aws,
Tliey live nearly in the center of a very large
and fomewhat uneven favannah, of a diameter of
above three miles ; this favannah at ail times has
but a barren loo^, the earth is very Nitrous,
and the favages get their water out of holes or
wells dug near the town; in any drou'ght the
ground will gape infilTures of about fix or feven
inches wide, and again, two or three days rain
will caufe an inundation ; the water is always ni-
trous, and this field abounds, with flint, marl,
and thole kinds of anomiious foffils miftaken for
oyfler fhells, which cannot be burnt into lime;
yet this produces a grafs of which cattle are fo
fond as to leave the richeil cane brakes for it;
and notvvithftanding the foil appears barren and
burnt up, they thrive to admiration ; it alio af-
fords a vafl, or even immenfe ftore of the falu-
brious Fragaria,, vulgarly known by the name of
wood ftrawberry.
They have in this field what might be called
one town, or rather an aflemblage of hutts, of
the length of about one mile and a half, and
very narrow and irregular j this however they
divide
( 63 )
divide into feven, by the names of Melattimf
(i, e.) hat and feather, Cbatelaw (i. e,) copper
town, Chukafalaya (i. e.) long town, Hikihaw
(i, e.) ftand ftill, Chucalija (i. e.) great town,
^uckahaw (i, e,) a certain weed, and AJhuck hoo-
ma (i. e.) red grafs; this was formerly inclofed
in palifadoes, and thus well fortified againft the
attacks of fmall arms, but now it lays open •, a
fecond Jrlaguette^ a litde more prudent than the
firft, would now find them an eafy prey.
The neareft running water, is about one mile
and a half off, to the fouth of the town, in the
edge of the field, but it is of no note; the next
is four miles off; and at high times, canoes
might come up here out of the river Tombechbe-,
this place is a ford, which often proves difficult,
and on diis account is called Nahoola Inalchubba
(i. e.) the white mens hard labour.
Horfes and cattle thrive well in this nation, their
breed of the former was once famous, being de-
fcended from fome Arabian horfes brought from
Spain to Mexico, but of late they have fo mixed
them with meaner kinds, as to caufe them to de-
generate much.
The traders who for fear of caufing jealoufy
by their difcourfe have formed nick names for all
tlie favage nations, have called thefe by the
whimfical name of the breed ; as cunningly fuf-
picious as the favages are, yet i never found that
any of them ever took notice of this diftinftion.
One remarkable thing i cannot omit of this na-
tion: There were in 1771, only two real origi-
jial Chicafaws left-, one of them, who goes by
the name of North JVeJi^ fcruples not to teli
them all very often, that they are of a flave
race, . Their
( 64 ;
Their grand Chief is called Opaya Mataha, and
It is faid he has killed his man upwards of forty-
times, for which great feats he has been raifed to
this nominal dignity, which by ail favages is as
much regarded, as among us a titular nobleman
would be if he fhould be obliged to be a journey-
man taylor for his maintenance.
Thefe favages are the only ones i ever heard of
who make their females obferve a feparation at the
timt oi thtir Menfes (fome ancient almoft extirpated
tribes to the northward only excepted, and thefe
ufed to avoid their own dwelling houfes) the wo-
men then retire into a fmall hut fet apart for that
purpofe, of which there are from two to fix
round each habitation, and by them called moon
houfes.
The whole tribe are remarkably ftrong made
fellows, but few of their women have regular
features, or deferve to be called handfome-, thefe
labour vaflly hard, either in the field for culti-
vation of corn, or fetching nuts, fire wood and
water, which they chiefly carry on their backs ;
the two firfl articles generally two or three miles,
and the lafl often a mile, their burthens would
amaze a ftrano-er, being rather fit for affes than
women to carry.
This nation is the moll imperious in their car-
riage towards their women, of any i have met
with; they are very jealous of their wives, and
adultery in them is punifhed by the lofs of the tip
of the nofe, which they fometimes cut, but more
generally bite off, but this does not deter them,
for they are a very falacious race, and the mark
is pretty general. They are all good fwimmers,
notwithftanding they live ib far from waters, but
they
they leafn their children to fwim in clay holes,
that are filled in wet feafons by rain.
They are the moit expert of any perhaps in
America in tracking what they are in purfuit of,
and they will follow their flying enemy, on a
long gallop, over any kind of ground without
miftaking.
Since i am on this fnbjed, i cannot forbear
taking notice of one thing related by many wri-
ters on America-, which is tlie knowledge the
favages have by the track of what kind of people
they purfue ; this is very true, and this iagj^ci-
ous particular deferved admiration, but t;he fon-
der muft ceafe when i tell my reader, that i Jbave
found in it much of a juggle, for inftead of
knowing it by the foot fteps (which they pretend
to meafure very ceremonioufly with their hands)
they know it by the ftrokes of the hatchets in the
trees and branches as they go along, which np
jwo favage nations agree in, be it in the height
from the ground, or in the Hope of the cut ; they
can alfo diftinguilh the different ways of making
camps and fires -, for inftancc •, a Cha6taw w^
camp is circular, with a fire in the center, and
each man has a crutched branch at his head tp
hang his powder and ihot upon, . and to fet his
gun againft, and the feet of all to the fire-, a
Cherokee war camp is a long line of fire, againft
which they alfo lay their feet ; a Chadaw makes
his camp in travelling in form of a fugar loaf; a
Chicafaw makes it in form of our arbours j a Creek
like to our fheds, or piazzas, to a timber houfe*,
in this manner every nation has fome diftinguifli-
4ng way.
The Chicafaws are efteemed good hunters, they
I have
C 66 )
have extenfive hunting grounds, and make excel-
lent ufe of them •, they extend them to the branch of
the Ohio^ called TanaJJe, Hogoheechee or Cherokee ri-
ver, and claim to the mouth of the Ohio, but this
ground they frequent with great caution, only in
the depth of winter when their northern enemies
are clofe at hdme ; they are often furprifed on
the rivers Margot and Tajoo, but below the Tafoo
as far eaft as the eaftern branches of 'Tomhechbe^
and as low as Oka 'Tibehaw, they hunt fafely;
this laft they regard as their boundaiy with the
Chadaws, but thefe two nations are by no means
iealous of each other in this refpe6t, and hunt in
each others grounds without lett or hindrance
from either fide ; although their country abounds
in beaver, they kill none, leaving that to the
white men ; they think this kind of hunting be-
neath them, faying any body can kill beaver,
but men only deer; this is exaflly the reverfe of
a northern Indian ; they hunt like all their neigh-
bours with the fkin and frontal bone of a deer's
head, dried and flretched on elaflic chips •, the
horns they fcoup out very curioufly, employing
fo much patience on this, that fuch a head and
antlers often do not exceed ten or twelve ounces ;
they fix this on the left hand, and imitating the
motions of the deer in fight, they decoy them
within fure Ihot. I cannot forbear to mention a
merry accident on this occafion j a Chaftaw In-
dian, who was hunting with one of thefe decoys
on his fill, faw a deer, and thinking to bring it
to him, imitated the deer's motions of feeding
and looking round in a very natural way, ano-
ther favage within Ihot, miftaking the head for a
leal one, Ihot the ball through it, fcarcely miffing
the
( 67 )
die fingers of the firft; the affair enaed in fifty
cuffs, but was no farther refented.
Their habitations at home confift of three
buildings, a fummer houfe, a corn houfe, and a
winter houfe, called a hot houfe-, the two firft
are oblong fquares, the latter is circular, they
have no chimnies but let the fmoke find its way
out through a hole at the top in their dwelling
houfcs, but in the hot houfes, where it can -, in
thefe they make large wood fires, on the middle
of the floor, which being by evening all coals,
they enter in, and fleep on benches made round
the infide of the building •, this would ftifle any
one not ufed to it, and be it never fo ftiarp a
morning, they come out fweating and naked as
foon as it is day; i believe this proceeding kills
numbers of them, as in lattitude 35 00, where
they live, it is often very cold ; they alfo ufe for
an univerfal cure of all difeafes, exceflive fweat-
ing in thefe hot houfes, and then with their pores
open jump into a hole of cold water, this treat-
ment of thofe that had the fmall pox killed num-
bers-, thefe hot houfes of a morning emitting
fmoke through every crevice, feem to a ftranger
to be all on fire on the infide.
Their common food is the zea or the Indian
corn, of which they make meal, and boil it;
they alfo parch it, and then pound it-, thus tak-
ing it on their journey, they mix it with cold wa-
ter, and will travel a great way without any
other food -, they begin to have the knowledge of
keeping cattle-, but at prefent they enjoy little or
no frefti meats while at home, but in the hunting
feafon in the woods, it is almoft the only food
they make*ife of 5 they have alfo a way of dry-
ing
( 68 )
Ing and potinding their corn, before it. comes to
matiiriLy:, this they call Boota Cofajj'a (i. e.) cold'
flour i this, in fmali quantities, throv/n into cold
water, boils and fwells as much as common meal
boiied ever a fire; it is hearty food, and being
iVeet, they ai'e fond of it ; but as tiie procefs for
making it is troublefome, their lazinefs feldom
allows them to have it \ they likewife ufe hickory
huts in plenty, and make a milkey liquor of
them., which tiiey call mjlk of nuts ; the procefs
is at bottom the fame as what we ufe to make
milk of alrnonds •, this milk they are very fond
of, and eat it with fweet potatoes in it ; they alfo
make a great ufe of Bears fat as oil; the flefh
the traders have learned them to make into ba^
con, exactly relembling that of a hog ; but ali
tliefe dillies fuit but ill the palate of an European,
and when they have any deer or buffalo flelh at
home, it is fo dried as to have no talte in it.
The knowledge they have of cattle keeping is
borrowed from the traders among them, who,
notwithftancling the ordinance againit fettling on
Indian grounds, have m.any of them plantations,
and raife cattle and hogs; one Caldwell has the
greateft ftock ; and Ofay a Mings Luxi went in
1 77 1 to complain of it, but Caldwell, knowing
that no favage can withftand the v/ords of a white
man, took advantage thereof, and fo intimidated
the favage, by his meer prefence at Penfacola,
\7hen in the fuperintendant's hall, in order to
lodge his information, and make his complaint .
that Opayd Mn-igo Luxi himielf faid he had
nothing againll him; but as t\\t very Com-
miffary has a plantation and cattle, and keeps
aegrocs &c. for the cultivation thereof (though^
fie
( ^9 )
he keeps his cattle under the name of Opaya Ma-
taha) i think very httle will be done to hinder
it •, and upon the whole, i think the affair of ad-
vantage to the favages, who mull foon ge-
nerally give into this way of life for their own
prefervatiou, or elfe remove further from us.
This office of Commiflary feems to me the mod
needlefs expence the crown is at, as it only ferves
for a fubjed of ridicule both to the traders and
favages, which laft fcruple not often to give the
officer in this nation the (among them) fcanda-
lous epithet of old woman ; and he can do but
little towards preventing diforders among them,
or in regulating the ftandard of the trade ; befides,
i am fure that whatever Commiffiary dared to
pretend to be any thing more than a cypher,
would run an imminent rifque of his life.
Their numbers have been very large, and
they themfelves have a tradition that they were a
colony from another nation in the Weft, and that
they firft fet themfelves down near the Ohio^ bu{
foon removed to their prefent Site j the greateft
number that their gunmen can now be reckoned
^t, does not exceed too hundred and fifty •, it is
really amazing, to think, that fuch a handful!
keeps about ten thoufand of the men of the other
tribes from deftroying them; but their ferocity
p,nd the way of making war among the favages
which gives no advantage to numbers, becaule
the war parties of a fmall nation are as numerous
as thofe of a larger one) has long faved them
from deftrudion.
Strong liquors make a fad havock among diele
v& among all other natiojag of the favages in the
North.
They
C 70 )
They are ftrong, and fwift of foot, and their
exercife at home is chiefly their ball play, a very
laborious diverfion.
They are horridly given to fodomy, commit-
ting that crime even on the dead bodies of their
enemies, thereby (as they fay) degrading them
into women.
In their war parties, they have generally one
who has done mofc mifchief to the enemy for
their leader-, but he is fo far from having a com-
mand, that an attempt, to do more than pro-
pofing whether fuch or fuch an undertaking
would not be mofl advifeable, or at moft per-
fuading them to it, would at leaft be followed
by a total defertion.
They are very ceremonious in their preparati-
ons for war, and their fondnefs for witchcraft
makes them look for omens of futurity.
They and all other favagcs have the greateft
fhare of patience imaginable; when a fcalp or
prifoner is in queftion, they will travel hundreds
of miles in the defarts, with amazing precaution,
enduring hunger, and often third, at a great
rate; nay if their proviilons fail before they ftrik'^
the blow, they have been knov/n to return to
hunt for more in fome fafe place, and without
going home, to make a fecond or third attempt.
They make war by ftratagem, furprife or am-
bufh, defpifing us as fools for expofmg ourfelves
to be Ihot at like marks. A man's valour with
them conlifts in their cunning, and he is deemed
the greateft hero who employs moft art in fur-
prifmg his enemy; they never ftrike a blow un-
kfs they think tliemielves fure of a retreat, and
the lois of many men is an infamous crime laid to
the charge of the party. They
( 7' )
They buiy their dead almoft the moment the
breath is out of the body, in the very fpot under
the couch on which the deceafed died, and the
neareft relations mourn over it with woeful la-
mentations ; the women are very vociferous in it,
but the men do it in filence, taking great care
not to be feen any more than heard at this bufi-
nefs ; the mourning continues about a year, which
they know by counting the moons , they are eve-
ry morning and evening, and at firft throughout
the day at different times, employed in the exer-
cife of this laft duty.
A people who by many peculiar cuftoms, are
very different from the other red men on the
continent, will next amufe us: They are the
Cha<5tav/s, more commonly known by the name
of the Flatheads. Thefe people are the only na-
tion from whom i could learn any idea of a tra-
ditional account of a firft origin ; and that is
their coming out of a hole in the ground, which
they fhew betv/een their nation and the Chica-
faws; they tell us alfothat their neighbours were-
furprlfed at feeing a people rife at once out of
the earth; dark as this account of a firft ex-
iftence of thefe people is to us, we difcover in it
a higher idea of an origin than among dieir
neighbours, who never pretend to tell ' from
whence they came, and have only loofe ideas of a
migration from the north weft; which prevail
among the Chicafaws and ail other fouthern nati-
ons.
The Cha(5baws may more properly be called a
nation of farmers than any favages i have met
.with ; they are the moft conftderable people in
Florida, and their fituation may be known by
die
( ^2 )
tlie annexed plan of their country: Their hunt-
ing grounds are in proportion lefs confiderable
than any of their neighbours ; but as they are ve-
ry little jealous of their territories, nay with eafe
part with them, the Chicafaws and they never
interrupt each other in their hunting •, as i menti-
oned before.
They are in their warlike temper far from be-
ing fuch cowards as people in general will pre-
tend, but it is true they are not fo fond of wan-
dering abroad to do mifchief as the other favages
are ; few of fuch expeditions are undertaken by
them, and they give for a reafon, that in going
abroad they may chance to be obliged to content
themfelves with a woman's or child's fcalp, but
in flaying at home and waiting the attack of the
enemy, they by purfuing them, are fure to take
men, which is a greater mark of valour : be thi^
as it will, it is certain they are carefully, cun-
ningly, and bravely watchfuU at home, and on
feveral occafions they have, after many infults,
boldly offered to meet their enemies in equal
numbers on a plain, which has always been by
the other favages treated with fcorn, as cowar-
dice i however when it has happened by chance
that they meet fo, we have feen them brave and
vi(5lorious. Even in the very town of Mobile,
an adlion of this kind happened deferving a re-
cord, when they drove their enemies (the Creeks)
through the river, and but for their inability to
fwim, they would have totally dellroyed them ;
the Captain Hooma or red Captain fighting with
forty Men againfl three hundred Creeks, and
with his own hand deflroying thirteen of their
Chiefs, even when fighting on his knees, and
whea
( 73. )
when he fell, bravely telling who he was, and
his being flead alive for his heroifm, is fo frefh in
every one's memory (being not above fix Years
ago) that many living evidences can teftify it;
I thought the adion worthy of this attempt, to
fave it from oblivion. They have deferted ma-
ny of their eaftern frontier towns fmce their pre-
fent war with the Creeks, but during my ftay
in their nation, i faw four or five inftances of
tlieir not fufFering their enemy to efcape unpu-
nifhed, when he dared to commit depredations,
and they valued themfelves on the event of the
prefent war, when in 1771, news coming arnong
the Traders, that the Creeks computed their
lofs at near three hundred perfons, and they
having guelTed the number of their's, loll much
the fame •, they faid, we have loft many women
and children and even of them fome Scalps have
been retaken, but we like men, have killed
men only, and got all the marks thereof; this
war began in Auguft 1765; the readers may-
judge at the greatnefs of their exploits, when i
affure them, that that number was the total lofs
during all that time.
Thefe favages were the ftaunch and firm
friends of the French while they continued on
the continent, until fome Englifh traders found
means to draw the eaft party, and the diftrid of
Coofa (which together are called Oypat-oocooloo,
or the fmall nation) into a civil war with the
weftern divifions called Oocooloo-Falaya^ Oocooloo-
HanaU^ and Chickafazvhays, which after many
confiifts and the deftrudtion of eaft Congeeto^
ended with the peace in 1763. I believe they
are a nation whofe word may be depended on
K when
{ 7^ )
when they give into the intereft of any perfon,
and that their faith is to be better relied on than;
that of the Chicafaws or Creeks, which two laft
are really verfed in all the galhc tricks of deceit.
At the congrefs of 177 1, there were two thou-
fand three hundred of this nation nearly all men,
at Mobile on the fuperintendants books ; in the
nation i found at above feventy of their villages,
about two thoufand men, and in the woods and
hunting grounds, i was at and heard of as many
camps as could make no lefs than fix hundred
men more. The French ufed to keep them very
poor, but the yearly fmall gifts they were ac-
cuftomed to, were more proper to leave an idea
of gratitude on the mind of a favage, than our
feptennial great ones.
Monfieur de Kerlerec and others made a fine
juggle and kind of monopoly of this trade, which ■
was very, ill brooked by the French; but al-
though i make no doubt of the Gentlemen's hav-
ing gone beyond the orders of their court, and
notwithftanding i am a bitter enemy to unreafon-
able regraters, yet i ani certain that a monopoly
of this trade under proper reftriftions would
prove an advantage and fecurity to the colonies,
fince now the villainous over reachings, chica-
nery, and mutual calumniations of the abandoned
wretches, who refide among the favages, joined
to their worfe than brutilh or favage way of life,
tend to the rendering the nation to which they
belong infamous, defpicable, and fcandalous a-
mong the favages, as well as to turn the hopes
of advantage into a real difadvantage ; and i
dare venture to fay, that unlefs fuch rcilriftions
take place, the different favages will always find
reafon
C 75 )
reafon to complain againft the colonies, and join
in cabals againft the poor fettlers in the remote ,
counties, and at laft oblige the colonies to take
the difagreable ftep of realizing our mock au-
thority, by extirpating all lavages that dare to
remain on the Eaft of the MifTiflippi.
But to return to the war-like inclinations of
the Chaftaws, and not to involve myfelf in poli-
ticks ; i take them to be a brave people, who can
upon occafion defend themfelves very coolly, 'for
during my ftay in the nation, a woman of that
tribe made a bargain with me to give her ammu-
nition for fome provifions i bought of her ; and
when i exprefled my furprife thereat, fhe in-
formed me that fhe kept a gun to defend her--
felf as well as her hufband did •, and i have feve*
ral times feen armed women in motion with the
parties going in purfuit of the invading enemy,
who having completed their intended murder,
were flying off.
They never exercifed fo much cruelty upon
their captive enemies as the other favages ; they
almoft always brought them home to fhew them,
and then difpatched them with a bullet or hatch-
et; after which, the body being cut into many
parts, and all the hairy pieces of fkin converted
into fcalps, the remainder is buried and the above
trophies carried home, where the women dance
with them till tired ; then they are expofed on
the tops of the hot houfes till rhey are annihiliated.
The fame treatment is exercifed on thofe who are
killed near the nation, but he that falls in battle
at a diftance is barely fcalped.
Their addiftednefs to pretended witchcraft
leads them into a ' very fuperftitious ' behavoui^
when
{ 75 )
■when on an expedition which is remarkable, they
carry with them a certain thing which they look
on as the genius of the party ^ it is moft com-
monly the ftufFed fl<:in of an owl of a large kind •,
they are very careful of him, keep a guard over
him, and offer him a part of their meat ; fhould
he fall, or any other ways be difordered in por-
tion, the expedition is fruftrated; they always
fet him with his head towards the place of defti-
nation, and if he fliould prove to be turned di-
reftly contrary, they confider this as portending
fome very bad omen, and an abfolute order to
return; fliould therefore any one's heart fail him,
he needs only watch his opportunity to do this
to fave his chara6ler of a brave or true man.
,There is alfo a fpecies of Motacilla (which i often
endeavoured to catch, in vain) whofe chirping
near the camp, will occafion their immediate re-
turn.
Their war camps are already mentioned.
They are given to pilfering, but not fo much
as the Chicafaws.
They are the fwifteft of foot of any favages in
America, and very expert in tracking a flying
enemy, who very feldom efcapes.
Their leader can not pretend to command on
an expedition, the moft he can do, is to endea-
vour to perfuade, or at the extent, he can only
pretend to a greater experience in order to en-
force his counlel; fhould he pretend to order,
defertion would at leaft be his punifhment, if
not death.
Their exercifes agree pretty much with what i
have feen among other nations : from their infan-
cy they learn the yfe of bows and arrows > they
are
( 77 )
are never beaten or othenvays rudely chaftifed,
and very feldom chid ; this education renders
them very willful and wayward, yet i think it
preferable to the cruel and barbarous treatment
indifcriminately ufed by fome European parents,
who might with flight punilhments by the ex-
cellency of wholefome chriftian Admonitions,
work in a very different manner on the tender
inclinations of pliable infancy.
Tlie young favages alfo ufe a very ftrait cane
eight or nine feet long, cleared of its inward
divifions of the joints; in this they put a fmall
arrow, whofe one end is covered one third of
the whole length with cotton or fomething fimi-
lar to it: this they hold neareft their mouth and
blow it fo expertly as feldom to mifs a mark
fifteen or twenty yards off and that fo violently
as to kill fquirrils and birds therewith ^ with
this inftrument they often plague dogs and other
animals according to the innate difpofition to
cruelty of all favages, being encouraged to take
a delight in torturing any poor animal that has
the misfortune to fall into their hands i thinking
bell of him, who can longeft keep the vidim
in pain, and invent the greateft variety of tor-
ture. When growing up, they ufe wreftling,
running, heaving and lifting great weights, the
playing with the ball two different ways, and
their favourite game of chunked all very violent
exercifes.
The excefs in fpirituous liquors to which they
ufe themfelves, is really incredible.
Their meetings about ferious matters are at
night. Their belief in charms and exorcifms is
firm and out of reafon, and he that Ihould dare
openly
( 78 )
Openly to boaft of this gift is fure to lofe his life
on the firft misfortune in the town where he re-
fides ; but if it is only pretended to extend to
the cure of wounds and difeafes it is overlooked •,
when they prepare for war, and when they return
they ufe exorcifnis, they call them all phyfic
though only bare words or aftions •, and if they
prove unfuccefsful, they fay the phyfic was not
ftrong enough -, it is no fmall diverfion to fee a
Cha6taw during this preparation aft all his fcrange
geftures, and the day before his departure paint-
ed fcarlet and black almoft naked and with fwan
wings to his arms run like a bacchant up and
down through the place of his abode ^ not drunk
neither, as rum is by them avoided like poifon
during this preparation.
While i was in this nation, i had the misfor-
tune to be afflided with a violent fever which
ended in a flux ; my own (kill being baffled, i
applied to my guide, who had the reputation of
being a knowing Fhyfician well acquainted with
the fimples ufed among them. I fubmitted to his
prefcription ; he got fome herbs and roots, and
made a decodion of them ; i drank it ; while the
efieft was expeded, he alternately burnt fome of
the fimples and fat down by me blowing upon
me to drive away the diforder ; i found no bene-
fit by it ; and on my refufmg an other trial he faid
i was a fool, the next time the phyfic would be
ftroilger, but he was not affronted.
The French have made great attempts to ren-
der this nation Chrillians ; at Chicafawhtiy there
refided a miffionary and a chapel was built, but
they were abfolutely unfuccefsful •, the favages
always derided the^ Jefuit, called him a woman,
and
^ 79 ) .
and would frequently defire him to take away
his phyfic, thereby meaning he would undo his
ceremony of baptifm -, and when the Engliih ar-
rived there they would go up to the altar and
imitate all the jefuitical farce, telling them that
they were not fuch fools as to hear him •, the cha-
pel was deltroyed before i came there in 1771,
but the crofs (being of lightwood*) ftood yet.
Their play at ball is either with a fmall bail of
deer fkin or a large one of woollen rags •, the lirft
is thrown with battledores, the fecond with the
hand only ; this is a trial of fkill between village
and village -, after having appointed the day and
field for meeting, they affemble at the time and
place, fix two poles acrofs each other at about
an hundred and fifty feet apart, they then at-
tempt to throw the ball through the lower part of
them, and the oppofite party trying to prevent
it, throw it back among themfelves, which the
firft again try to prevent •, thus they attempt to
beat it about from one to the other v/ith amazing
violence, and not feldom bfoken limbs or diflo-
cated joints are the confequence; their being al-
moft naked, painted and ornamented with fea-
thers, has a good efi^edt on the eye of the by
ftander during this violent diverfion •, a number
is agreed on for the fcore, and the party who firft
gets this number wins.
The women play among themfelves (after the
men have done) difputing with as much eagernefs
as the men ; the ftakes or betts are generally high.
There is no difference in the other game with the
large ball, only the men and women play pro-
mifcuoufly, and they ufe no battledores.
Their favourite game of chunks is a plain proof
of the evil confequences of a violent pafTion for
* The heart of yellow pine. gaming
c 8o r
gaming upon all kinds, claffes and orders of
men ; at this they play from morning till night,
with an unwearied application, and they bet
high ; here you may fee a favage come and bring
all his fkins, ftake them and lofe them •, next his
pipe, his beads, trinkets and ornaments ; at laft
his blanket, and other garment, and even all
their arms, and after all it is not uncommon for
tliem to go home, borrow a gun and flioot them-
felves ; an inftance of this happened in 1771 at
Eafi Tafoo a iliort time before my arrival. Sui-
cide has alfo been praftifed here on other occafi-
ons, and they regard the a6t as a crime, and bury
the body as unworthy of their ordinary funeral rites.
The mannner of playing this game is thus :
They make an alley of about two hundred feet in
length, where a very fmooth caly ground is laid,
which when dry is very hard •, they play two to-
gether having each a ftreight pole of about fif-
teen feet long-, one holds a Hone, wJiich is in
fliape of a truck, which he throws before him
over this alley, and the inftant of its departure,
they fet off and run •, in running they call their
poles after the ftone, he that did not throw it
endeavours to hit it, the ot:her ftrives to fhrike the
pole of his antagonifl in its flight fo as to prevent
its hitting the ftone ; if the firft ihould ftrike the
ftone lie counts one for it, and if the other by
the dexterity of his caft fhould prevent the pole
of his opponent hitting the ftone, he counts one,
but ftiould both mifs their aim the throw is re-
newed; and in cafe a fcore is won the winner
cafts the ftone and eleven is up ; they hurl this
ftone and pole with wonderful dexterity and vio-
lence, and fatigue thcmfelves much at it.
The
( 8I )
' Tile women alfo have a game where tliey take
a fmall flick, or fomething elfe off the ground
after having thrown up a iinall ball which they
are to catch again, having picked up the other j
they are fond of it, but afhamed t6he feen at it.
I believe it is this propenfity to gaming which has
given thefe favages an idea of a meum and tuuj^t
above all other nations of America.
They are extravagant in their debauches;
when met for a drinking match fome women at-
tend them, when thefe find the men beginning
to be heated with liquor they will take away all
the weapons found near them and return with a
callebalh under their wrappers, then mixing
with them, the men offer them their bottles,
they take a draught and when not obferved they
empty it into the callebafh, which when full they
empty into bottles brought for that purpofe, and
thus they will accumulate two or three bottles
full, and v/ith the help of a little water, llill
make them more ; after a while rum fails among
the men, and the women acquaint them, that
they have got fome ; they are told to fetch it ;
they refufe, faying it coll them much and they
cannot give it for nothing; a bargain enfues,
they receive the confideration firft, and then bring
it ; in this way of trade they will often get all
the effeds the men can command for fuch a deli-
cate ne6bar.
I have a great opinion of a Chaflaw's faith-
fully performing his promifes, i have feen feveral
little inftances thereof; they deteft a liar, and
ftiew gratitude to a man that keeps his word;
my guide whofe name was Poojkoos Mingo gave
nic
L
( 82 )
me an inflance of this •, when i left him he fald i
had fatisfied him for every thing like a true man,
but if i would give him a fpeaking paper to the
great white man at Mobile (meaning John Stuart
Efq) then he would ftill better know it ; i gave
Kirn a note recommending him to that gentleman,
and becaufe he had been of extraordinary fervice
on the journey, begged he would allow him
fomething more than common ; it had the defired
eflFe6l, he got a good many things extraordinary ;
when i was afterwards mifllng, and it was thought
the Creeks had deftroyed us in coming from the
Chicafaw nation, this favage armed to avenge
my death, and was adually taking the war phy-
lick as they term it, v/hen news was brought to
tlie nation of my Arrival at Mobile.
They are well made both men and women j
the women have agreeable features and counte-
nances, but their nafty way of life in general dif-
iigures them •, thofe that are cleanly, are really at-
tra<5l:ive-, the women disfigure the heads of their
male children by means of bags of land, flattening
them into different fhapes, thinking it adds to their
beauty; both m^en and women wear long hair, ex-
cept fome young fellows who begin to imitate the
Chicafaw falhion, and both fexes mark their
faces and bodies, particularly the women with
indelible blue figures of fancy, among which is
a great deal of voluted work of vafb variety.
Before the Englifli traders came among thenr,
there were fcarcely any half breed, but now they
abound among the younger fort.
, Both fexes are wanton to the higheft degree,
and a certain fafhionable diforder is very com-
mon among them. Sodomy is alfo pradtifed but
not
( 83 )
not to the fame excefs as among the Creeks and
Chicafaws, and the Cin^di among the Chaflaws
are obliged to drefs themfelves in woman's attire,
and are highly defpifed efpecially by the women.
Their buildings are exadlly fimilar to thofe of
theChicafaws.
Their way of life in general may be called in-
duftrious, they will do what no uncompelled fa-
vage will do, that is work in the field to raife
grain ; and one may among them hire not only a
guide, or a man to build a houfe, or make a fence,
but even to hoe his grounds -, nay they will for
payment be your menial fervants to the meaneft
offices ; no other unfubdued fayage will do any
more of all thefe than be your guide ^ they
are very ingenious in making tools, utenfils and
furniture; i have feen a narrow tooth comb made
by one of thefe favages with a knife only out of
a root of the Diofpyros that was as well finilhed as
i ever faw one with all the neceffary tools ; this
Ihews their patience.
The Chaftaws are very hofpitable at their hun-
ting camps, and there only they will entertain a
ftranger at free coft.
Here i mud relate a particular cuftom of thefe
people: When a deer or bear is killed by them,
they divide the liver into as many pieces as there
are fires, and fend a boy to each with a piece,
that the men belonging to each fire m^ay burn it,
l>ut the women's fires are excluded from this ce-
empny, and if each party kills one or more ani-
nals, the livers of them are all treated in the fame
nanner.
Horfe^ of a good kind are in fuch plenty as to
)e fold for a kegg of four gallons half water hllf
rum;
( H )
rum 'y they would be excellent were it not ^^^
they back them before the animals attain t\^'.
years of age.
They cultivate for bread all the fpecies and
varieties of the Zea^ likewife two varieties of
that fpecies of Panicum vulgarly called guinea
corn; a greater number of different Phafeolus
and DoUchos than any i have feen elfewhere; the
efculent Convolvulus (vulgo) fweet potatoes, and
the Helianthus Giganteus ; with the feed of the
laft made into flour and mixed with flour of the
Zea fhey make a very palatable bread ; they have
carried the fpirit of hufbandry fo far as to culti-
vate leeks, garlic, cabbage and fome other gar-
den plants, of which they make no ufe, in order
to make profit of them to the traders ; they alfo
ufed to carry poultry to market at Mobile, al-
though it lays at the diftance of an hundred and
twenty miles from the neareft town-, dunghill
fowls, and a very few ducks, with fome hogs,
are the only efculent animals raifed in the nation.
They make many kinds of bread of the above
grains with the help of water. Eggs, or hickory
milk •, they boil the efculent convolvulus and eat
It with the hickory milk ; they boil green ears of
corn, they boil corn and beans together, and
make many other preparations of their vegetables,
but frefli meat they have only at the hunting
feafon, and then they never fail to eat while it
lafl:s J of their fowls and hogs they feldom eat
any as they keep them for profit.
In failure of their crops, they make bread of
the different kinds of Fagus, of the Biofpyroi^ of
a fpecies of Convolvulus with a tuberous root
foun(i in the low cane grounds, of the root of a
fpecies
( 85 )
Ipecies of Smilax, of live oak acorns, and of the
young fhoots of the Canna ; in fummer many-
wild plants chiefly of the Drup and Bacciferous
kind fupply them.
They raife fome tobacco, and even fell fome to
the traders, but when they ufe it for fmoaking
they mix it with the leaves of two fpecies of the
Cariaria or of the Liqtiidambar Styraciflua dried
and rubbed to pieces.
They prepare a kind of cloth out of the bark
of a fpecies of Morus, and with its root dye it
yellow; i have all the rcafon in the ^^rld to be-
lieve, that this cloth might be manufactured into
paper. *'
BufFaloe's wool alfo furnilhes them a materia!
for a ufeful manufacture.
They likewife make blankets and other co-
verings out of the feathers of the breafts of wild
turkies by a procefs fimilar to that of our wig
makers, when they knit hair together for the
purpofe of making wigs.
They have a root by means of which they dye
moll fubftances of a bright lafting fcarkt, but
hitherto i have not been able to difcover what it
was.
Many among them are well acquainted with
plants of every kind, and apply them judicially
both externally and internally ; to others again
they attribute fupernatural virtues •, " for inflance,
there is one which they make ufe of to procure
rain; for this purpofe they have a number of
people in their nation called rainmakers; thefe
ajTemble in a deferted field, and they boil this
plant in a large pot, dancing and fmging. round
it with numberlefs aukward gefturcs > then if it
fhould
C 86 )
fhould happen to rain loon after, the jugglers
boall the virtue of the plant -, but lliould no rain
follow, they fay the phyfick was not flrong
enough ; they take care however not to employ
this rain compelling herb unlefs a cloudy day
forebodes rain. The plant is very fmgular, and
i believe a nondefcriptj i faw two fpecies of it,
but could not afcertain the genius; the favages
call it EJla Hoola or the moft beloved.
The mort remarkable thing of thefe favages is
their inability to fwim, occafioned by their being
remote from large waters ; this art the people of
Chicafahay and Toani who live on the banks of
the Pajia Oocooloo enjoy alone, and incredible as
it may appear, even moft of their horfes partake
of this inability, as many people and among
others the Commiffary for the nation have in-
formed me from their own experience.
They help their wives in the labour of the
fields and many other works •, near one half of
the men have never killed a deer or turkey dur-
ing their lives. Game is fo fcarce, that during
my circuit through the nation we never faw any,
and v/e had but two or three opportunities
of eating venifon in as many months-, they
take wives without much ceremony, and live to-
gether during pleafure, and after feparation
which is not very frequent, they often leave the
fecond to retake the firfl wife.
Fornication is among them thought to be a
natural accident, therefore a girl is not the worfe
looked on for ten or a dozen flips \ but although
they are not over jealous of their v/ivcs, they pu-
nifh adultery in the woman, unlefs flie happens
to belong to a ftronger or more noted and nume-
rous
( 87 ) _
rolls family than the hufband •, in which cafe he
fcarce ventures even to put her away ; but if fhe
is doomed to fuffer, her punifhment is to be at a
publick place ffor that purpofe fet apart at every
town) carnally known by all who choofe to be
prelent, young and old ; thus the poor wretch
after defendingpherfelf and ftruggling hard with
the firft three or four, at laft fuffers motion-
lefs the brutality of perhaps an hundred or an
hundred and fifty of thefe barbarians -, the fame
treatment is undergone by a girl or woman who
belonging to anotlier town or quarter of the na-
tion, comes to a place where -fhe is a ftranger
and cannot give a very good account of herfelf
and bufmefs, or the reafon of her coming there;
this they call running through the meadow, and
if a white man happens to be in the town, they
fend him an offer or invitation to take the firft
heat ; they plead in excufe for fo barbarous a cu-
ftom, that the only way to difgufl lewd women
is to give them at once what they fo conftantly
and eagerly purfue.
The education of their children i have already
mentioned.
The women fuffer no more by ^hild birth than
any other favage wom.en j they retire into a place
of folitude at the time, and after delivery return
to their daily labour-, however while i ftaid at
Oka Altakkala in this nation one died in labour
within about eighty yards of the houfe i refided
in.
There are no laws or regulations obfervabk
among thefe people, except the Lex Talionis^ and
although they have a ftrift notion of diftinftion
in property, and even divide their lands, we ne-
ver
( 88 )
ver hear them quarrel about boundaries-, the
above law is fo ftridly followed, that i am fur-
nifhed with the following anecdote: It hap-
pened that a young Chaftaw having done fome-
thing deferving reproof, he was therefore chid by
his mother, this he took fo ill as in the fury of
his Ihame to refolve his own deatl^ which he ef-
feded with a gun •, his fifter as his neareft rela-
tion thought herfelf bound to avenge his death,
and knowing the circumftance told her mother
ihe had caufea her brother's death and muft pay
for his life •, the old woman refigned herfelf to her
fate, and died by the hands of her daughter, who
iliot her with a gun which ihe had provided for
the cataftrophe.
In ficknefs the juggling Qiiacks -^re confulted,
and as they arcx naturally good connoifieurs in
fimples, and judge pretty well of the nature of
difeafes, they o^tT fuccced ; but if a diforder is
obftinate or incurable, the relations of the pati-
ent affemble in his houfe, bewail his misfortune,
ciy bitterly, take their leave of him, and he tells
them how tired he is of life, that his misfortunes
are unfufFerable, and that it is good he ihould
die i upon this an univerfal howl is raifed, the
neareft male relation jumps on him, and violent-
ly in a moment breaks the neck of the patient,
and then they rejoice that his mifery is over, but
lamentations for his departure foon fucceed.
The following treatment of the dead is very
ftrange, yet we find Apollonius Rkodius mention a
fimilar cuftom of the inhabitants of Colchis near
Pontus ', we find Ives in his voyage relating the
like of the remainder of the ancient Perfians, and
we find again in HawkeJworihH voyage the peo-
ple
HI;.
( ^9 ) . .
pie of Otaheite^ performing their obfequies in a
manner little or nothing different from the Chac-
taws •, but it would be an hard matter to affign a
reafon for it among the latter-, that it is not with
any folic itude about the difpofition of the body
in regard to a future ftate is plain j all the reafon i
could hear of them was, that they v/quld not fo
foon forget their deceafed fri^fids, aM' might be
the oftener ftimulated to weeji over their "remains.
As foon as the deceafed is departed, a ftage is
eredled (as in the annexed plate "is Yeprefented)
and the corpfe is laid on it and covered with a
bear fl<:in ; if he be a man of note, it i§ deco-
rated, and the poles painted fed with. Vermillion
and bears oil •, if a child, it is p\it' i^Jcti'ftiakes fet
acrofs; at this ftage the relations come and weep,
afking many queftions of the corpfe,^ ftich as,
why he left them ? did not his wife ferve him
well? was he not contented v/ith his' children?
had he not corn enough? did not his land pro-
duce fufEcient of every thing? was' he afraid of
his enemies? &c. and this, accompanied by loud
bowlings •, the women will be there conftantly,
and fometimes with the corrupted air 'and heat of
the fun faint fo as to oblige the by ft&nders to
carry them homej the men will alfo (fome and
mourn in the fame manner, but in the night or
at other unfeafoaable times, when they' are leaft
likely to be difcovered.
The ftage is fenced round with pole's,' K re-
mains thus a certain time but not a fixed fpace,
this is fom.etimes extended to three or four months,
but feldom more than half that time. A certain
fet of venerable old Gentlemen who wear very
long nails as a diftinguiftiing badge On the
M thumb
( 90 )
thumb, forehand middle finger of each hand,
conftantly travel through the nation (when i was
there, i was told there were but five of this re-
fpedable order) that one of them may acquaint
thofe concerned, of the expiration of this period,
which is according to their own fancy ; the day
being come, the friends and relations affemble
near the llage, a fire is made, and the refpeda-
ble operator, after the body is taken down, with
his nails tears the remaining flelli off the bones,
and throws Jt with the intrails into the fire, where
it is confumedi then he fcrapes the bones and
burns the fcrapings likewife; the head being
painted red with vermillion is with the reft of the
bones put into a neatly made cheft (which for a
Chief is alfo made red) and depofited in the loft
of a hv>t built for that purpofe, and called bone
houfej eacTitown has one of thefe; after remain-
ing here one year or thereabouts, if he be a man
of any note, they take the cheft down, and in an
alTembly of relations and friends they weep once
more over him, refrefti the colour of the head,
paint the box red, and then depofit him to laft-
ing oblivion.
An enemy and one who commits fuicide is bu-
ried under the earth as one to be diredly forgot-
ten and unworthy the above ceremonial obfequies
and mourning.
A mixture of the remains of the Cawittas, Ta-
lepoofas^ Coofas, Apalachias^ Conjhacs or CoofadeSy
Oakmulgis, Oconis, Okchoys, Alibamons^ NatcheT^
Weetumkus, Pakanas, Taenfas, Chacfihoomas^ Abe-
kas and fome other tribes whofe names i do not'
recoiled, will be the next fubje£t of our attention-,
they call themfelves Mufcokees and are at prefent
known
( 9' )
known to us by the general name of Creeks^ and
divided into upper and lower Creeks •, alfo thofe
they call allies and are a colony from the others
living far louth in Eaft Florida.
They inhabit a noble and fruitful country,
where a civilized people in future will enjoy all
the earthly fweets they can wifh for, and where
the inhabitants will always be placed commodi-
oufly for navigation, fo as with little trouble to
bring all the valuable produce of a rich foil fitu-
ate in a temperate air of the middle latitudes to a
market •, in a word, i forefee this will become the
feat of trade and its attendant riches in North
America.
They are the next moft numerous nation after
the Chadiaws -, but becaufe i have not been fo
univerfally through this nation as through the
the others, i cannot fo nearly calculate their num-
bers, but to all appearance, three thoufand five
hundred gun men is all the extent ; this confede-
racy of remnants is a race of very cunning fel-
lows, and with regard' to us, the moft to be
dreaded of any nation on the continent, as well
for their indefatigable thirft for blood (which
makes them travel incredibly for a fcalp or pri-
foner) as for their being tmly politicians bred,
and fo very jealous of their lands, that they will
Jiot only not part with any, but endeavour con-
ftantly to enlarge their territories by conqueft and
claiming large trads ftom the Cherokees and
Chaftaws.
As an inftance of their politicks, i beg leave
to relate the following faft : When in 1764 and
1765, Meffrs. Rea and Galphus of Georgia, had
the contrad of providing Penfacola with beef,
they
( 92 }
they were of necefTity obliged to have the cattle
drove through this nation, who never fufFered
any but oxen to pafs, the tendency of this prohi-
bition muft be obvious to every reader.
They are all remarkably well Ihaped, they live
in a level country full of rivers, are expert fvvim-
iiiers, and in general a very hardy race ; what
deferves notice here is that their 'Thorax is very
fhallow, fo that a favage of this race may appear
almoft a giant by the breadth of his Ihoulders and
yet not meafure fo much in circumference as
an ordinary European; but whether this is the
effedt of art or nature, i cannot pretend to de-
cide; their women are handfome and many of
them very cleanly, they are very hofpitable and
never fail of making a ftranger heartily welcome,
offering him the pipe as focn as he arrives, while
the good women are employed to prepare a difh
of venifon and homany, * with fome bread made
of maize and flour, and being wraped in maize
leaves, baked under the afhes ; when it is ferved
up they accompany it with bears fat purified to a
ferfeft chryftalline oyl, and a bottle of. honey
with which laft article the country abounds, and
it is of fo good a quality, as in my opinion to ex-
ceed that of Calabria and Minorca.
In the lower nation and the allied tribes, there
are many who keep rice by them and have plen-
ty of beef; of all which articles they are profufe-
ly liberal, an4 i believe had they only a fmgl^
potatoe, they would fhare it with a ftranger. In
the fruit feafon they never fail to accompany thefe
.regales with melons, peaches, plumbs, grapes,
or fome pther wild fruit.
■ \, ,: ': After
* Maize coarfly pounded, fifted and boiled in water.
( 93 )
After the traveller is made welcome by his
hoft, the latter introduces himiinfo the affembly,
which is kept every evening at a. place called the
fquare, of which we find one in each town. At
this place he is entertained with tobacco and.
cafTine drink ; this is alCo the common refort of
their old men and warriors to deliberate on mat-
ters of peace and war, to judge what fteps are to
be taken for the welfare of the nation, and to de-
cide the fate of their neighbours-, h that this
fquare doth not ill anfv/er to the defcription we
have of the Roman Forum or Athenian Areo'page ;
the evening ends in a dance, which is the com-
mon pradice every night. *
To relate any thing concerning the wars of this
nation, would be no more than repeatii^g what
has been faid oftheChicafaws.
Their way of life is in general very abundant;
they have much more of venifon. Bear, turkies;
and fmall game in their countiy than their neigh-
bours have, and they raife abundance of fmall
cattle, hogs, turkeys, ducks and dunghill fowls
fall which are very good in their kind) and of
thefe they Ipare not ; the labour of the field is all
done by the women'; no favages are more proud
of being counted hunters, fifhermen, and warri-
ors : were they to cultivate their plentiful coun-
try, they might raife amazing quantities of grain
and pulfe, as it is they have enough for their
home confumption, they buy a good deal of rice,
and they are the only favages that ever i faw that
could bear to have fome rum in ftore ; yet they
drink to exccfs as well as others ; there are few
towns in this nation where there is not fome fa-
vage refiding, who either trades of his own ftock,
or
( 94 )
or IS employed as a fador. They have more va-
riety in their diet than other favages: They
make pancakes ; they dry the tongues of their
venifon ; they make a cauftick fait out of a kind
of mofs found at the bottom of creeks and rivers,
which although a vegetable fait, does not deli-
quiateon expofmg to the air; this they diffolve
in water and pound their dried venifon till it looks
like oakum and then eat it dipped in the above
fauce ; they eat much roafted aud boiled venifon,
a great deal of milk and eggs ; they dry peaches
and perfimmons, chefnuts and the fruit of the
chamarops, they alfo prepare a cake of the pulp
of the fpecies of the paffi flora^ vulgarly called
may apple •, fome kinds of acorns they alfo pre-
pare into good bread; the common efculent con-
volvulus and the fort found in the low woods,
both called potatoes, are eat in abundance among
them ; they have plenty of the various fpecies of
Zea or maize, or the Phafcolis and Dolichos, and
of different kinds of Pankum; bears oyl, honey
and hickory milk are the boaft of the country ;
they have alfo many kinds of fait and frefh water
turtle, and their eggs, and plenty of filh ; we like-
wife find among them falted meats, corned venifon
m particular, which is very fine ; they cultivate a-
bnudance of melons ; in a word, they have natu-
rally the greateft plenty imaginable ; were they to ,
cultivate the earth they would have too much ; vaft
numbers of horfes are bred here, but of an indiffe-
rent kind; and thele favages are the greateft horfe
ftealers yet known : it is impofTible to be fure of a
horfe wherever thefe fellows come.
The CafTine is by them ufed as a drink, they
barbacue or toaft the leaves and make a ftrong
decoftion
i 95 )
decodion of them; the men only are permitted to
drink this liquor to which they attribute many
virtues, and it is made fo ftrong as to be black
and raife a froth; when they drink it. at their af-
femblies in the fquare, they call it black drink.
Every afternoon a young favage warns the vil-
lage to dance; as foon as it is dufky they make a
a fire of dry pitch pine, and round this they
dance in a circle with many ftrange geftures,
poftures, and cries; the women fmg regularly
and fome very prettily to the mulick of a kind df
drum. I have heard them fmg, and feen them
dance to no more than the words Tahoodela, Ta^
hoyahena for above two hours.
On this occafion i muft not forget to mention an
inftance of female fondnefs for drefs, which i faw
at one of thefe dancing aflemblies : I obferved
the women dreffed their legs in a kind of leather
(lockings, hung full of the hoofs of the roe des:
in form of bells, in fo much as to make a found
exacflly like that of the Caftagnettes-, i was very
defirous of examining thefe ftockings and had an
opportunity of fatisfying my curiofity on thofe of
my landlady at her return home. I counted ia
one of her ftockings four hundred and ninety
three of thefe claws ; there were nine of the wo-
men at the dance with this kind of ornament, ib
that allowing each of them to have had the fame
number of hoofs, and eight hoofs to a deer,
there muft have been killed eleven hundred .aiid
ten , deer to furnifh this fmall aflembly of ladies
with their ornaments, befides which, earrings,
bracelets, &c. are by no means forgot; an iia-
ftance of luxury in drefs fcarcely to be parallded
by our European ladies.
( 95 )
The mm are alfo very fond of drefs; my guide
acrofs the Peninfula, employed above two hours
at his toilet, at Mr. Moultrie's houfe, four miles
from St. Auguiline, before he would venture to
Ihew himfelf in town.
• Their principal exercifes.at home arfe ball play-
ing in the manner afore related, and the juft men-
tioned dances ; the women are employed, befides
■the cultivation of the earth, in drelTing the victu-
als, preparing, fcraping, braining, rubbing
and fmoaking the Roe flvins, making mackfens
of them, fpinnihg bufFaloe wool, making fait,
preparing caffine drink, drying the cbam^rops and
fajfifiora^ making cold flour for travelling, ga-
thering nuts and making their milk ; likewife
in making bafkets, brooms, pots, bowls and
other earthen and wooden veffels.
They live nearly in the fame kind of habitati-
ons as the two other nations already mentioned,
except that their hot houfes are not circular
but oblong fquares ; they learn their boys from
their youth to endure all manner of hardfliips
particularly fwimming in the coldeft weather;
they make them frequently undergo fcratching
from head to foot through the fl<:in with broken
glafs or gar lilh teeth, fo as to make them ail in a
gore of blood, and then walli them with cold
water; this is with them the Arcanum againil all
difeafes, but when they defign it as a punifhment
to the boys, they dry fcratch them (i. e)^ they
apply no water after the operation, which ' ren-
ders it very painful ; they endeavour as much as
poflible to teach them all manner of cruelty, by
making them exercife it on the poor brute creati-
on, in order to be the better verfed in it when
they
( 97 ).
they Want to exercife it on their own fpecies, and
others of the human genus, when they unhappily
become their enemies.
As hofpitable as this nation is to friends, as
irreconcileably inhuman are they to their enemies ;
there is hardly an inftance of one miferable pri-
foner's ever having efcaped their barbarity ; the
torments they put the wretched vidims to, are
too horrid to relate, and the account thereof cail
only ferve to make human nature fhudder.
No nation has fo contemptible an opinion of
us as thefe. They pra6lice unnatural commerce
with their own fex to as high a degree as the
Chicafaws •, they, like all other favages, are very
fond of dogs, in fo much as never to kill one
out of a litter, and it is not uncommon in the
nation to fee a dog very lean, and fo fenfible of
his misfortune as to feek a wall or poft for his
fupport before he ventures to bark.
With regard to the women, their girls are
the xnoft arrant prudes and coquets in the world,,
though they will never fcruple to fell the ufe
of their bodies when they Can do it in pri-
vate ; a perfon who v/ifhes to be accommodated
here can generally be fupplied for payment, and
the favages think a young woman nothing thd
worfe for making ufe of her body, as they term
it ; but it is a great falfliood which has been re-
lated of thefe favages, that they exhort their
young women to cohabitation with white men.
Polygamy is here allowed, though not gene«
rally made ufe of; they marry without much ce-
remony, feldom any more than to make fome
prefents to the parents, and to have a feaft or
hearty regale at the hut of the wife's Father;
N wh<ia
(. 98 )
when once married the women are bound to the
ftri6tefc obfervation of obedience and conjugal
fidelity, faying that flie that has once fold herfelf,
can not any more difpofe of any thing whatever ;
and of their wives they are the moft unreafonably
jealous of any nation under the fun. Adultery
is puniihed by fevere flagellations and lofs of
hair, nofe, and ears, in both parties, if they are
taken ; fometimes they fpare the nofe of the man,
and i have known fome inftances of white men
having this m^isfortune and being obliged to ap-
ply to the Commiffary, or the neareft Governor
for a certificate to fccure them from the imputa-
tion of the pillory.
Phyfick, or the knowledge of it, is another
thing in which tliey pride themfelves not a little,
but they apply that name to all kinds of exor-
cifms, juggling and legerdemain tricks, as well
as to the knowledge of difeafes and the fimples
proper to cure them.
Once a year, about July, thefe people put out
all the fires throughout the nation ; they fall the
two next days ; then the fire is lighted again ac-
cording to their old fafhion (i. e.) by drilling
with a hard piece of wood on a foft one till it
catches which foon happens •, thus all the fires are
again lighted and univerfal feafting enfues.
. The women are jufb as eafily delivered as thofe
of the other favages, and immediately after birth
the infant is plunged into cold water.
They revere old age to excefs; in extreme
ficknefs they will out of compaflion break the
neck of the decrepid or lingering patient.
The dead are buried in a fitting poflure, and
they are furniihed with amufket, powder and ball,
a hatchet.
( 99 )
a hatchet, pipe, fome tobacco^ a club, a bow
and arrows, a looking glals, fome vermiliion and
other trinkets, in order to come well provided
in the world of fpirits.
The Jrkanzas, Kanzas, Kappas, or Kwappas
are the only nation of any note after the three
above named, with whom Weft Florida has any
connexion, notwithftanding they live on the weft
fide of the river-, they are fuppofed to be about
four hundred gun men.
This nation is famous for the death of Ferdt-
nand Soto in the year 1543, after his immenfe
journey from the Bay of 'Tampe through Apala-
chia, Penfacola, Mobile, and the Chicafaw nati-
on, &c. to the MifTifTippi, by his hiftorian called
Rio Grande-, alfo the arrival of Mr. de la Salle,
who in 1682, coming down this river atid hav-
ing taken formal pofleflion of this country, went
further down to its mouth, obferved it in Lati-
tude 29, went up again as far as Illinois, thence
to Canada and France, from whence he returned
with a fmall fquadron in 1684 to find the motith
of the river once more, but through obftinacy
pafled it fo far as to get into the Bay of St. Ber-
nard and river Bravo, where lofing his veflels he
attempted to find the Arkanzas a fecond time,
but after a long and tedious journey of almoft
tliree years he lliared if pofiible a worfe fate than
Soto, being murdered by his own people near the
nation of the C^ni on the 29th of May 1687 -, this
we gather from the writings of Mr. Jeutel who
was prefent at all the fcenes i have related, con-
cerning this affair, and who purfued the journey
to the Arkanzas and Canada -, this nation were till
lately the declared enemies of the Ghicafaws;
their
( lOO )
their country is faid to be exceeding fine, but as i
have not feen it i can not judge of it, i never faw
above fix of this race, therefore i only treat of
them on account of their connexion with the
country i am defcribing.
In general their manners are very like thofe of
all other favages, but among them i find a cu-
ftom not known by the other fouthern nations
which is that of a feaft of dogs flefh at the de-
claration of war, which is a common pradife
among all the northern tribes j we are alfo told
that an Arkanza is counted a warrior in his na-
tion for having killed his enemies dog.
As many various accounts have been given of
tlie manner of a declaration of war by different
favages, i will here acquaint my reader of my
having more or lefs perfonal knowledge or ac-
quaintance with every tribe between the river St.
Lawrence and the bottom of the gulph of Darien,
and i think i can give the following as an account
that will iland the univ^rfal teft in all that ex-
tent.
When war has been refolved on by the leading
men of the nation, a feaft is prepared and all the
f hief warriors are invited •, after a great deal of
fwilling, the caufe of the aflembly is eloquently
made known by fome Orator, and the intended ex-
pedition fubmitted to the confideration of the af-
fembly ; as foon as it is approved of, they paint
themfelves red or black, alTume a very gailly ap-
pearance and behaviour, adorning themfelves
many uncouth ways ; they dance their war dances
under a continual roar of the death whoop, every
one relates the great adions of his anceftors, and
lings the praif^s of his own, as weJJ pafl as fq^
( lOl )
ture; the infults of the enemy are painted in their
blackeft colours, and a great deal of bloody ad-
vice to their young men with an univerfal cry ot
revenge ! revenge ! ends tlie farce, and then eve-
ry one plans expeditions as he fees proper and
convenient to execute.
The pradice of fcalping their flain enemy i
believe is univerfal, but thofe in the neighbour-
hood of the Dutch colonies have laid it by for
another, that of cutting olFthe hands, which was
in confequence of a reward the company gave
them for the hands of fuch runaway blacks as
joined the rebel Negroes, becaufe there were in-
ftances of perlbns fcalped who have recovered,
but after the lofs of hands they cannot any more
ufe arms.
Juggling and pretence to witchcraft, as alfo
confuking of omens, is common to the Arkanzas
as well as others, and pafTes by the name of
phyfick.
They have fo far a veneration for the alligator
as not to defiroy him, nor have i feen a favage
who would willingly kill a fnake.
The pipe is ufed here as with others. Tobacco
in fome lliape or other feems to be the American
fymbol of peace, friendfnip. and focial converfati-
on, to which laft the Europeans feem alfo to have
applied it in imitation of the favages.
I am informed that they bury their dead like
the Creeks with the addition of tying the head
down to the knees.
To be particular about the remains of the To-
nicas, Chihmachas, Tafoos, Hoomas, MoMlians,
Pafca-Oocochs^ Hatiakappas^ Taemas, Biloxis, Tbi-
toopas, AgudQtt-PiJfas, or CQlh-PiJfaSy T'iaoux^ Oak-
tafhippas
(102 )
tajhippas, and many others, who have been de-
ftroyed by the French, would be needlefs, as
there are not above from five to eighteen or twenty
families of each of them left, who inhabit the
banks of the MiffilTippi, difperfed among the
plantations, where they ferve as hunters, and for
fome other laborious ufes •, fomething limilar to
• the fubdued tribes of New England; and fo un-
natural is a humanized life to thefe people, that
being as it were out of their element, this rem-
nant melts daily like fnow before the Sun.
To give an idea of Indian hieroglyphick
painting,- i have fubjoincd the two following
cuts; the firll is Chailaw, and means that an
expedition by.feventy men, led by feven princi-
pal warriors, and eight of inferior rank, had in
an adiion killed nine of their enemies, of which
they brought the fcalps, and that the place where
it was marked was the firft publick place in their
territories where they arrived with the fcalps.
The fecond is a painting in the Creek tafte, it
means, that ten of that nation of the Stag family
came in three canoes into their enemies countiy,
that fix of the party near this place, which was
at Oopah UUah^ a brook fo called on the road to
the Chadaws, had met two men, and two wo-
men with a dog, that they lay in ambulh for
them, killed them, and that they all went home
with the four fcalps ; the fcalp in the {lag's foot
implies the honour of the aftion to the whole fa-
mily.
Such my reader may be alTured were the
boafted hieroglyphick paintings of Muteczuma's
people when Cortes landed in Mexico, and fimilar
to my defcription v/ere tlie people, the palaces and
temples
( ^^% ---
( I03 )
temples of Mexico fo glorioufly painted in Spa-
nifli Rhodomontades, for what end i know not,
but i can affure every one that thefe Iberian hiC-
tories of the conqueft of Mexico are no other than
truth very thickly veiled v/ith abfurdities •, for
except the filver and gold which thefe favages
might then have, believe me they differed no-
thing from others; and as an evident proof of
this we fee the free unconquered nations of Darien
in pofTeiTion of gold and filver of their own find-
jing, but very confined in their ideas of work-
jing it.
'j ' The primum Mobile of the welfare of thefe
|countries and of the wealth of their inhabitants
are the African flaves ; the primary fine fpun
conftitution of Georgia, is a recent and ftriking
proof of this ; that country would not this day
lave been worth the notice of any, had not the
importation and ufe of Negroes been allowed on
the arrival of Governor Reynolds-, when this
Gentleman came to the Government it had Ian-
guifhed under the administration of General
Oglethorpe and the other truftees for about
twenty years and then the land was worth lefs
than at the firft beginning, but no fooner had
Mr. Reynolds arrived, and, among other ufeful
regulations, the free ufe of flaves taken place,
the country flourifhed-, it is now about feven-
teen years ago that this happened: Hutch-
infon's ifland before Savannah was then fold for
twenty pounds fterling, as yet there is a great
deal of it unimproved and it cannot now be
4>ought for ten thoufand pound fterling, the im-
provements likewife are far more perfed ; amaz-
ing as this increafe of value is, yet i believe thai:
there
( 104 )
there are many inilances of a flill greater, and i
know fome lands without any improvements on
them, of any kind, increale in fix years time from
live to forty lliiliings per acre, and many inha-
bitants of favannah can now teftify, that before
the furrender of the truftees, almoft every houfe
there might have been bought for the confidera-
tion of doing the militia duty in the room of the
firli owner only. Lafl year the exports of the
province amounted to above i2i,oool. fterling,
as may be feen by a ftate of the cullom houfe
books then publilhed, an amazing increafe in
fcventeen years from nothing !
The late fooliili, not to call them cruel at-
tempts of fettling Eaft Florida by whites from
Europe (i mean as well from England as from
the Levant) are likewife a very abfolute convic-
tion of the necefhty of having Negroe flaves;
but as fome people who are able to purchafe,
< jlaves, run away with the notion of the unlaw-
fulnefs of holding a property in Negroes, and
who are perhaps not a little milled by the filly
pamphlet publilhed in fome of the colonies,
called " an addrefs to the inhabitants of the Brii-
" tifli fettiements in America upon (lave keep-
•' ing, &c." have attempted to fettle without
Negroes at all -, i cannot in confcience forbear to
give my advice to all adventurers in Florida, who
defire to improve a plantation for their benefit,
not to forget thefe ufeful though inferior m.embers
of focietyj nou but poor families may live in
plenty, and by honeft labour acquire a cpmfort-
able and eafy fituation in life as may be wilhed
for, but until their induftry helps them to the
means of buying one ilave and fo on till they get
more
p;^ii .mm. KJit^' m^^Bvmm
fentiments
( 104 )
there are many inftanees of a flill greater, and ]
know fome lands without any improvements on
them of any kind, increaie in fix years time from,
five to forty lliillings per acre, and many inha-
bitants of favannah can now teftify, that before
the furrender of the truftees, almoft every houfe
there might have been bought for the confidera-
tion of doing the militia duty in the room of the
firft owner only. Laft year the exports of the
province amounted to above i2i,oool. fterling,
as may be feen by a {late of the cuftom houfe
books then publifhed, an amazing increafe in
feventeen years from nothing
The late fooliHi, not to call them cruel at-
tempts of fettling Eaft Florida by whites from
Europe (i mean as v/ell from England as from
the Levant) are likewife a very abfolute convic-
tion of the neceffity of having Negroe flaves ;
but as fome people who are able to purchafe,
'Jlaves, run away with the notion of the unlaw-
fulnefs of holding a property in Negroes, and
who are perhaps not a little milled by the filly
pamphlet publifhed in fome of the colonies,
called " an addrefs to the inhabitants of the Brii-
" tilli fettiements in America upon flave keep-
•' ing, &c." have attempted to fettle without
Negroes at all -, i cannot in confcience forbear to
give my advice to all adventurers in Florida, who
defire to improve a plantation for their benefit,
not to forget thefe ufeful though inferior m.embers
of fociety, noc but poor families may live in
plenty, and by honeft labour acquire a cpmfort-
able and eafy fituation in life as may be wilhed
for, but until their indullry helps them to the
means of buying one Have and fo on till they get
more
\
\ii AGGREGA|rE and VALUAT^ION of EXPORTS of PRODUCE
frotp. the P R O V I N CfE of G E O R G I A,
therein, ' annually diftinguiihed.
Comptroller and Searcher of his
With the NUMBER of VESSELS and T O Iv?n A G E employed
from the Year 1754, to 1773. Compiled by fFILl\f^M BROWN,
Majefty's Cuftoms in the Port of Savannah. ■ '■■
^cvocKxx><x>oo<x>doo<>oo<xK><^!:^c>oooo<x>^
}"■ -l^. " Jw- '757.
Jar !75tS t» Jan. 1758,
ta. .758, tojM. 1759,
[33. 17 i9' <» .(«■• I7fc>
" . ijE,; to J»n. 1770'
a.. ,770, » >.n. ,77.,
;i. 1771, to Ian. 1772.
• ff. B. The fiidilm Incfla/e and Durtafe tf/everdt A>
TUtctJ^rom fmhfuminglj fo. The Tt I C E f,
^r-jtrjlTear 30/. upsxaa Average for
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11167
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300
( in ceilahi Years are c--'ivg In Diji
\yiZ to i-ji-^ amounted to q(>,z(>bl. 9 '-
the IJlm/s of at. leafl 200 per Cent. 0,1 Sum
r, Chief-Juftkeof
the /aid Provi.
ofrricest accidental Hhif^igi be/or
DEER SKINS, ra^ a,:d.r.J/id,. I
y^ftr Cent, on Plai.
after the Ne
i,7+o /. ,3.'.
Of the aho've Aggregate 'l
'ear. good and had ^fn/ofis.
d. and L UMBER of all K
ofSVNB VR r exported lift Tear £. 20,876.
Indiai Hums ; and Care has teen taken to diftingSiJh the
.^3+'-
added to the ralv,
BEFORE m ANTHQNT STOKES, Barrifter at
lie faid Prmiince of Geifgia, yrtfi.allj .yyra-eu; rrt.
Ejquire, CompirctUr and Searcher of the Port 0/ Sa-vannah, .
■..Oath, That the abo-iie Aggregate ;/ true, (ucording to the bejl oj hu
i Oath 'u.'a- tal:en before me, the firft Day of March,
Knm:ifdge and Belief; ■whin
>773-
ANTHONY S T 0 K
S.
It iilo be ehfer-veJ that iheprjl ninth Year of^
f.ni:n, the Exforli mift amount to 301,000 '
Acrti'fUdian Huniing-Groundi, ceded anio I
A«teri<a. U the Year iTlt ''^""'""<"'!?P"'^ „, ,„, ,
A trmih impretpidled with Turpentine, reftjii the IVorm and Weather
/iry lififij BujheU per Acre ; and up the Cmntr), froitjkiyio fewnty BuM
treat Apparalui neteffary for that Bufmefi.
The fh
'oridai nay be regarded
; hut though there ii alfo great Bempt to be ,
the fame light •with Georgia, allowing fr
'by cultivating Rice, ^c
flnfamx.
' f refit to ie
- ■ Co:
. only the toetJihier Sort of People can amn.i to it
Vtar (anno 1782 J by m hcrtafe in the l»ai Pn-
tie Province, and nor few MUhzl:, tf wegrtntm
juftly denied one of the moft fimri/tiag 'Coimies .•«
'" ^' ""''« iy "Otiig Lumber,- •xi.hifi, fivm its bfiMg
t nmmon Preduct in tkt Lcutlaitdi is frrm
acietait of the Nsieer of SUvet, mtd tk
• ( 105 )
inore it will be vanity for them to hope for an ac-
ciimulation of wealth.
Do we not fee Solomon's words fully verified
in Negroes ? A fervant will not anfwer though he
underjiand. The very perverfe nature of this
black race feems to require the harfli treatment
*hey generally receive, but like all other things,
this is carried into the extreme ; far be it from V,
me to a:pprove or recommend the vile ufage to
which this ufeful part of the creation is fubjedted
by fome of our weftern nabobs, but againft the
IPhyllis of Bofton (who is the Phanix of her race)
|i could bring at leaft twenty well known inflan-
jGes of the contrary effed of education on this fa-
ble generation.
Treachery, theft, ftubbornnefs, and idlenefs,
the firfl in the more northern Negroes, and the
three laft in the Ebo, Angola, and Benin flaves
are fuch confequences of their manner of life at
home as to put it out of all doubt that thefe qua-
lities are natural to them and not originated by
their ftate of (lavery.
Had Montefquieu been well acquainted with
the Am^erican colonies, he would not have made \;
ufe of any argument fo much below fo great a -^i
rhan as the one quoted in the above named enthufi- "''
aftical produftion, which feems calculated to
procure a greater number of vagabonds than we
are already peftered with. I think no man ought "
to be allowed the manumiflion of his flave except
he be bound for his good behaviour and induftry, ',
and idle free blacks ought to be fold for the good /^
of the community.
The anecdotes of the fublimity of Negroes
fentiments
O
( io6 >
Kntlments in their own country are very fimilar
to my anecdote of a lavage fhooting himfelf be-
caufe his mother reprimanded him, or another
doing the fame becaufe he loft his all at play.
Mr. Le Poivre has mentioned the making fugar
in Cochin China, by free men, but it has not been
obferved, that thofe free men make fmall quan-
tities, and fell it at the low rate they do, only
becaufe others who employ flaves in the fame or
in the adjacent countries, fell them at that price,
which may be eafily proved, and confequently j
oblige the others to do the fame; nor that thefe I
free men live on the fame diet as our flaves, and
who will fay that Cochin Chinefe fugar after ex-
portation fells at a more reafonable rate than Ja-
van, Martinique, Jamaica, or any eaftern or
"weftern fugar does.
Have not all the endeavours of the feveral Le«
giflatures in the Weft Indies to introduce more
white or free people proved abortive, by reafon
of their general inability for labour in thofe
climates?
Is it not therefore better to employ thofe, who
labour at a fimilar work in their own fultry coun-
try, and in a ftate of llavery too, than to make
vidtims of men who can by no means be qualified
for the fatigue of a fouthern plantation.
We have known not long ago fugars &c. as
cheap in the Weft Indies as in the Eaft -, it is the
increafe of confumption in Europe and North
America that renders it dear: I affirm that in
America, neither fugar, rice nor indigo can be
made by whites at three times the price it is made
now by the blacks, and i alfo affirm that the
Weft India lands are diftributed among all nati-
ons
ons with Ids refervation, than they are on the
continent of Britilh North America.
Can any one fay that the favourites of man-
kind (i mean liberty and property) are any where
enjoyed in Africa?
The rhapfodical opinion that the earth pro-
duces more when worked by free men than by
flaves may do in theory but not in praftice •, the
contrary is eafily made to appear; and i am cer-
tain from the nature of the climates, that the fame
colonies when cultivated by free men would not
produce one tenth part of what they do now ; as for
an equal diftribution of property it is like Har-
rington's Oceana or Sir Thomas More's Utopia.
An European will outlive a Creole by means of
his more regular life, not otherwife, and who
knows not that Negroes attain with all their la^
■bour a much higher age than the generality of
idle Whites.
The foolifh argument of the fliortnefs of the
Jewilh hiftory, as well as lugging in the practice
of Polygamy by the head and Ihoulders (al-
though the text quoted is not to the purpofe) is
too mean to be refuted.
Let not therefore the narrow fyftem of mora-
lity adopted by fome of our contemporary enthu-
fiaftical Philofophers reftrain us- from properly
uling this naturally fubjedted fpecies of mankind ;
the impoflibility of an European's bearing the re-
quifite labour in thofe climes is nowib well af-
certained as not to require any elucidation, nor can
any one pretend to fay, that the pofterity of Eu-
ropeans born in the torrid Zone ought to bear its
inclemency ; what labour can we exped from men
brought up in eafe and affluence ? It is pretended
that
( io8 )
that our employing flaves is contrary to the pre-
cepts of the founder of our moft holy religion,
when he fays : " 'Thou Jkalt love thy neighbour as
thyfelf'^^ \ need not make ufe of the confined
ideas of the antient Jews, who thought that
the title of neighbour did not extend to any thino-
beyond their own nation.
I will then affirm, that there is a fivefold ftate
of flavery, not only known or permitted j but
commanded in God's holy word.
I ft. Thofe who are condemned to flavery for
their crimes, which we but too often experience
to be the cafe with the flaves imported to us from
Africa.
, 2ly. Thofe that are taken in war, which is the
moft general way among the Negroes to furnilli
us with flaves, and who would be murdered ; did
we not induce their conquerors by our manu-
fadlures and money to fhew them mercy.
^iy. Thofe who are fold by their Parents,
wliich cuftom obtains among many people even
the refined and civilized Cliinefe, not to mention
fome chriftians, but moft among the Negroes.
4ly Thole who fell themfelves or are ibid for
debts, or other wants, which not only the Ne-
groes, but our own laws juftify.
5iy Thofe who are born in flavery.
I need not feek afllftance from the laws aftually
in force among us to prove the firft ; ]<[oah in
Cenejis^ chap. 9, v. 25, 27, condemns Ham to
flavery for the crime he had committed, and in
Exodus^ chap. 22, v. 3, God commands us that,
" If the Sun be rifen upon a thief, it Ihall unto
" him be a crime of blood, for he fliould make
" full reftitution. if he have nothing, let him be
" fold
r 109 )
" fold for his theft." Here let me remhid my
reader, how much eafier the flavery of our Ne-
groes is, than the cruel captivity of thofe, who
for their mifdemeanors are condemned to the
chain, the wheelbarrow or the gallies.
For the fecond read Jojhiia^ chap. 9, v. 23.
Does not Exodus^ chap. 21, v. 7, Ihew, that a
man might fell his child as a fervant, only giving
the niaid fervant a privilege above men fervants ?
In the fourth cafe i think that (without leaving
the point in view) i may a(k, does not the foldi-
er fell his liberty to his fovereign or other Prince
for his pay be it for a time or for life ?
Proverbs, chap. 11, v. 29, tell us, "That
" the fool fhall be fervant to the wife of heart."
Chap. 22, V. 7, " The rich ruleth over the
" poor and the borrower Ihall be fervant to the
lender." Does not Jefus himfelf. Math. chap.
18. V. 25 make ufe of a parable fully to my pur-
" pofe ? wh^n he fays : But for as much as he
" had not to pay, his Lord commanded him to be
" fold, and his .wife and children and all that he
" had, and payment to be made."
Exodus chap. 21, v. 4, tells us that j *' if the
" mafter have given his fervant a wife, and flie
" have born him fons or daughters, the wife and
" her children fhall be her mafters.
For the perpetuity of flavery read Leviticus
chap. 25, V. 39, to 47, how ablurdly is Mon-
tefquieu again quoted, when in his L. 10, C. 3,
he fpeaks of a conquered nation, who through
necelTity are made flaves in their own country:
every one knows that fuch conquered people,
who are fuffered to remain at home at firfl under
opprefTion, ought by degrees to be miade free
fubjeds.
( no )
fubjefts, their good behaviour being their ran-
fom i but who, even among thofe refined mora- ;
lifts, would emancipate his (lave without fomej
reward either private or publick ?
How Tacitus comes to be fo pat to the pur-
pofe of this acute Philoiopher i have not been,
able to learn -, nor is the quotation from the uni-
verfal hiitory, or Mr. Robertfon of any more
force : Since we are able then to get flaves in a
lawful manner, why fliould we now be reftrained
from buying them to cultivate our grounds,
when all nations at all times have enjoyed that
privilege ?
Had not the well known Chriftian Dodor of
the ColofTian Church a flave called Onefimus}
did not this Have run away (after having, as ufu-
al with flaves, robbed his mafter) come to Rome
and go to fee St. Paul } Paul treated him kindly,
initru6ted, converted, and baptifed him and fent
liim back to his mafter with a letter full of godly
eloquence to perfuade Philemon to forgive his
flave and re-eftablifti him in his favour, but by
no means an exhortation, much lefs an order to
fet him free.
It is not religion then nor chriftian charity that
forbids us to have flaves, but it commands us
the duties we are to fulfil towards them, in-
ftrufting them to obey us, and us to ufe them as
a part of the reafonable creation.
Who knows not, that the Spaniards are fo
much flaves that they can not well be more fo,
were they bought by their King : And who, that
is .acquainted in the Spanifti dominions, knows
not, that a modern Iberian does himfelf more
honour by faying {Soi Blanco) u e. I am a
v/hite
{ III )
white man, than if he exclaimed, i am Noble f
Shall after what i have faid, this Rhapfodift:
with his confined ideas, lend us to fome modem
fyftem of religion, or fay, that i have offered
any thing contrary to the fublime doctrine of
the author of chriftianity ? Had this anonymous
writer inftead of playing with the word llaveryj
told us, that the Northern colonies had no occa-
fion for Negroes, he would have faid more, than
all he has advanced in his futile publication.
A Negroe at the MifTifTippi is reckoned to
bring in his mafter an hundred dollars per annum,
befides his Ihare towards all the provifion confu-
med in the family-, Negroes in general are ufed
with more lenity there than in Carolina.
I have in my difTertation on the origin of the
favages, which has fwelied beyond my intenti-
on, made mention of a peculiar charafteriftic of
the Negroe fpecies, here let me be allowed to
mention that they, like all others of the different
fpecies, and varieties of the human genus are
born white, which colour foon changes, but on
the moment of birth in both fexes the exterior
parts of generatiou will fhew, whether the perfoti
will be black, yellow, brown, red or any other
colour known among mankind.
There is among the Negroes a kind of anoma-
lous beings with white fkins, feeble eyes, &c.
which have been fo often defcribed by other au-
thors that i lliall not trouble my reader with a.
particular account of them ; yet one obfervatioa
i cannot forbear to make, which i believe will bq
found no lefs curious than new :
Through all the Northern America the red
men are univerfally fo, but as foon as we come;
on
( 112 )
6n the IJihmu! we find fome of thofe unKappy
anomalous individuals among the favages -, i have
myfelf feen feveral of either fex of this forlorn
kind among the Sant 'Blafs nation, who call
themfelves Ayomalas-, they inhabit the South
Eaftern part of the IJlhmus, and i underftand from
others converfant farther South, that in South
America it is common •, thefe people are of fuch
an exceeding tender texture of fkin, that it is
difagreeably fair and very liable to become fcurfy
and freckled •, their eyes are nearly as red as thofe
of a white rabbit and very weak, feeing objefts
plainly only after Sun fet, before Sun rife, or in
a cloudy day : Their hair is ftraight, long, lank,
and red, not participating of the harfh llrong
texture of the hair of common favages •, their in
ability for labour, for want of fight, taufes the
others of the nation to fupport them -, the off-
fpring of thefe poor creatures however is again
red and in the general courfe of nature.
The manners and way of life of the white peo-
ple in Florida, differ very greatly from thofe in
other provinces of America, particularly in rt-
J^e6l of cloathing; they are very plain, their
drefs confifts of a flight waiftcoafl of flriped cot-
ton, and a pair of trowfers of the fame, and often'
no coat ; if any, it is a fhort one of fome light
ftuff; in winter a kind of fur tout, made of a
blanket, and a pair of Indian boots is all the ad-
dition; the women alfo drefs light and are not
very expenfive ; happy frugality ! May the in-
habitants of this bleifed climate long continue to
cherifli thee as their greatefl temporary blefTing !
Manufaftures of cotton for their own ufe alfo
prevail greatly among the induftrious Acadians -,
may
( "3 )
may the new comer under the free government of
the Englifh not be aihamed to follow this excel-
lent example! forry i am thoughj that i find myfelf
obliged to fay that when in anno 1772 i was in
Orleans i could not forbear to feel the weight and
juftice of an exclamation made by a French gen-
tleman to me upon feeing fome Englifh gentlemen
walk upon the Levis " * Dites moy Monfteur (fays
he) lefquds font lis petit s raaitres de la Loulfiane
Mejfrs. ks Anglois ou nous autres^ with grief i was
obliged tacitly to own the Englifh were.
The amazing plenty of the country in its weft-
ern regions makes them keep princely tables at a
fmall expence, thus i can not call this luxury a.
fault ; to form an idea at what a good table may
be furniflied, i beg my reader to perufe the follow-
ing account, as this really flood in the year 1772
in the months of November and December, and
in January and February 1773: Beef at 13/^.
per hundred; frefli pork of the befb corn fed
18/ per hundred; country flour from 12/ to
13/5. the North American flour 15/6. to 16/^.
per hundred ; a bufliel of good clean full
grained Indian corn about 13d. i-; a barrel
of the beft clean merchantable rice being about
two grofs hundred weight of neat grain, from
9/ to 1 1/3 ; fweet potatoes about 8d. per bufliel i
a flieep of about 1 2 pound per quarter, if pur-
chafed above New Orleans, will coft 679, if be-
low, 9/; a tame goofe of the befl: kind from lod."
to i/; a turkey about 2od. to 2/; if a very fine
vnld one, fome times 2/6; a common dunghill
P fowl
* Tell me Sir, which of\K ^€ the PeUtS MJlitxes Qf LpWf
ifiana the Englifh gr wf.
( 114 )
fowl about 6d; a tame duck from 6d. to 8d;
venifon variable according to the caprice or nati-
on of the hunter, but always very cheap, this
has a noble peculiar fine flavour here; butter is
little ufed, yet the beft the Acadians make which
is very good fells at about 6d. ^ ; bears oil care-
fully clarified fupplies its place-, this is bought
at about o^fG a gallon -, and in my opinion, as
well as in the opinion of all who once try it,
richly deferves the pre-eminence of butter; be-^
fides thefe the lakes Pont-Chartrain^ Maurepas^
Borgne^ and Ouachas fupply the country with a vaft
variety of excellent fifh at an exceeding low price,
and in winter large quantities of fine oyfters and
a great choice of water game in high perfection,
fo low as'feldom to be ai]<:ed more than 6d. for a
gOofe, about 4d. for a duck, mallard, widgeon,
or other of that fize, and about 2d. for a teal;*
all thefe have here a peculiar flavour and are
much admired -, the river abounds likewife in fifhj
but being very deep and little pains taken to catch
them, the difi^ercnt kinds are fcarcely knov/n ;
the planters all keep th^ir hunters for providing
their tables^, and their yards abound in poultry j
fmall game, fuch as quails, pheafants, hares,
fquirrc^s, fnipes, godv/its, curlews, meadow larks,
fieldfares, "rice birds, &c. &c. arc very frequent-
ly had.
It is true that T mfacola 2iVi^ Mohile di^tzx^S^y
the firfl: are not fo abundant ; but in regard of
meat, venifon and fifli, i pronounce it to be ow-
ing to the indolence of the inhabitants, who con-
tent
* All thefe prices are as hear as pofSble reduced out of tliO
country currency into Ikrling.
( 115 )
tent themfelves to pay any price fixed thereon by
one or two butchers, and three or four induftri-
ous Spanifh hunters and fiil^rmen,
Nhhile has plenty of bread kind already, and
notwithftanding the barren miferable appearance
of the fea coaft here and at Penfacola, their fine ri-
vers will e're long oblige propitious plenty to
rear her at prefent hidden head,
In refpect of vegetables, from Mchile weft-
ward there is an amazing fupply of every kind
the year round in their higheft perfection and of
the fineft flavour-, but the .barren fand of P^;?/^-
cola will not admit of gardening in June, July,
and Auguft, the proportion of moifture being
then too fmall for that of heat,
In the gardens we find various kinds of cab-
bage and fallading, carrots, turnips, radiflies, fk'ir-
rets, lealvs, fcallions and other roots, afparagus,
artichoakes, cucumbers, green peafe (in fome
the year round) vaft variety of beans, and choice
of beft flavoured pot herbs, in fliort every fine
efculent plant Europe can boaft of, they have
beyond clefcription perfedt, neither has the boun-
teous hand of nature here been fparing in the
moft delicious fruits for the table, nor forgot to
fl:ock the fields and woods with fine mufh-
rooms, truffles and morels for the moft exquifite
fauces,
Hie ver ajfiduum atque alienis men/thus- o'Jiai
bis gravidce ;pecudes ; bisfojnis utilis arbos
ViRO.
Happy climate wherethrough all feafons of the
year the ineftimable gifts of Flora and Fomona are
common, where fnow or ice are very feldom feen,
and
( ii6 )
ajid where the cruel necefTrty of roafling one's felf
before a fire is utterly unknown !
With refped to drink, among tlie Englifli in-
habitants it is generally water tempered with a mo-
derate quantity of the bell Weft India rum, and
among the better fort the Portuguefe and Spanifli
wines ; the French drink their favorite claret of
the two kinds called vin cahor and vin de lilk;
the Spaniards add the St. Lucar wine to it, rvTew
England rum (that bane of health and happinefs)
has found its way here alfo, among the lov/er
clafles; a low kind of rqm from the French IQes
is likewife ufed by fome, and its cheapnefs makes
it preferred for the trade with the favages.
A tranfition to the agriculture of thefe colonies
comes moft paturally in courfe; thisfcience (un-
doubtedly the moll noble and moft ufeful of all
employments) h^s not only had the prote6lion
and countenance of Monarchs and other great
men, but they have even pradifed it, our prefent
gracious Sovereign has fhewn inftances of his care
of the art, and many individuals of rank in Eng-
land, Holland and France now pra^tife it and ftu-
dy its improvement, and the annals of all nations
tell us, that the flourifliing ftate of that art was
the happy period of their grandeur; and it un-
doubtedly is and always will be an honourable,
innocent, pleafant, and ufefull purfuit.
The amazing multiplication of mankind in
'America, which fmce eighteen years that i have
been acquainted with the continent has proceeded
nearly, if not v/holly, in a triplicate proportion,
is entirely owing to this great art, and to the
room this wide wafte of new world affords for its
improvement ; this art is the fource of our grar>
deu|r
■C\"7 )
deur, and tlie caiife c^ur happy ftrldes to great-
nefs i the welfare of the^^eppie depends thereon,
all the confequence of a nation is owing to it, and
the national independency of the greateft comiini-
ties is in a great meafure infep'larable from it.
In this noble country then (which will afford
not only all the neceffaries but even the fuperflu-
itics of life) it ought therefore to be the principal
obje6t of our moft arduous purfuits-, all the
produds of the torrid Zone as well as of the tem-
perate are capable of being produced in this per-
t'ed: climate, let us fee which of them moft de-
ferves our attention.
Before i defcend to particulars a thought claims
my notice ; Weil Florida is beyond meafure hap-
py in having its fertile foil more equally divided
than the barren fands which were chofen by the *
monopolizers of Eaft Florida t, thefe even over-
looked the moft ufefuU places there, and planted
their baronies in the pine barrens. There let the
lords be lumber cutters ! The fertile part ot Weft
Florida is more equally divided, and there popu-
lation through agriculture does and muft continue
to flourifti, happy circumftance! for which Dr.
Stork and the ielf taught Pennfylvanian Philofo*.
pher deferve our perpetual thanks.
I. Wheat will always be produced in Weft Flo-
rida efpecially in the higher latitudes on the river,
fo that all attempts to ftarve that country by
blockade would be vain and fruftrated ; barley,
and oats grov,^ well in all the lighter foils, and rye
jnay be produced in the moft barren fands of the
province. The
* No doubt tkis v:*as a fcheme of the enemies of American
j)c^uIation who fee themfelv^s ^very way baffled.
C iis )
Ihe cultivation of thefe are fo nniverfally
knQwn, that to defcribe them would be fpen-
Oing paper in vain, but a remark in regard to
wheat (which has fallen under my obfervation)
muft not be omitted ; in the lower latitudes wheat
Will grow exceeding well till it comes almoft to
maturity; but then of a fudden a difeafe called
tlie blaft will often take it, and this in one night re-
Giice^ the hopes of a fine crop into a certainty that
the beft thing to be done next m.orning is to
burn the ftraw to clear the ground for fome thing
clfe ; to prevent this an obfervant farmer of my
acquaintance in Georgia * having found that rye
was nev-^r fubjecl: to this difeafe, mixed fome rye
among his wheat, and the field efcaped the blaft;
lie repeated the trial till he was convinced of its
efficacy, and then fowed a field of about five acres
with wheat, furrounding it with a lift of about
twenty feet of rye ; he fucceeded in this experiment
alfo, and his repeated trials have now Ihewn that
k may be depended upon as efficacious, and thus
wheat may be truly made an univerfal grain.
11. The Zea, Maize or Indian corn is a grain
by no means to beneglefted; the rich grounds in
the N. W. parts of Eaft Florida about Jlacbua
&c. and the lands in the N. E. of Weft Florida
are peculiarly adapted thereto and will yield
fifty or fixty buffiels per acre, the intervale on
the To7nhechbe and the land on the Miffiffippi is
capable of producing eighty buffiels per acre;
even the fandy land, or that which is little better
than fand, will yield according to feafons from.
fifteen to twenty five buffiels an acre.
The vaft confumption of this grain in food
for mankind is very well known, but its fupe-
:rior
f Mr. Ifaag Youngs
( 119 )
dor goodnefs for the feeding of fwine, poi.iltiy,
and indeed all animals, joined to its eafy cuuurv:
and prodigious increaie, makes it deferve a j'ank
before all other grain after wheat: Its cuirane
requires the ground to be thoroughly hoed * of
plowed, fo as to make it entirely mellov/, and
break every clod, then holes are made at equal
diftances in regular rows, and four or five grains
dropped in each and covered-, in this part of the
hufbandry the greateft miftake is often made
through over greedinefs of land, the holes ought
to be at the regular diftance of five feet, which
will leave room for the horfe or hand hoeing it
much better, than if it was placed at four feet;
fome people are fo near minded as to plant them
only three feet a part, but this prevents the free
circulation of air through the rows, of which,
this grain ftands very much in need j this is fo
evident, that on planting in the fame field fome
corn at three, at four, or at five feet diftance,
(fuppofe the foil equally good) there will be a.
difference of fix feet in the height of the plants,
for the beft land can not raife the crowded corn
to above ten or twelve feet, whereas that through
which the air has free accefs, is frequently raifed
to fixteen, eighteen, and even twenty feet ; f nor
is this the only difference, the crowded corn will
not produce grain in any thing like the proporti-
on of that which Hands at proper diftances ; a
ftem of crowded corn will hardly ever furniili
above three ears, and thefe not above eight inches .
Ions,
* The favages anciently performed this with the ftiouldcf
blade of animals fixed on iUveSi
t I Wiite for Florida,
( I2b )
Jong, nor have they their extremities ever filled^ "
neither are the rows fo compaft nor elofe toge-
ther as that of corn that has enjoyed more free-
dom-, a ftem of which will produce generally
from three to five well grown ears from nine to
twelve inches long, compad, and to the end full
grown and of a wholefome look 5 when the young
plants are grown about five or fix inches out of the
ground, a man ought to go through the fields and
pull up thofe plants tliat look leaft promifing leav-
ing only three plants in each hill and the ground
muft be kept weeded ; when at the height of a
foot or thereabouts, it muft have the firft hoeing,
the earth is then to be drawn round upon the
root in form of a cucumber hill« and iiOw it
may ftand till it attains the height of three feet,
when it muft have a fecond hoeing, and be clear-
ed of fuckers, which will appear in num-
bers ; when the grain is got to the growth of
about fix or feven feet, or when the taffel or fe-
male flower begins to appear, it muft again be
relieved from fuckers, and have a third hoeing,
throwing the ground well up round its foot •, in a
large field thefe hoeings are moft commodioufly
performed by the hoe-plow drawn by one horfe,
but in new fields the hand hoe muft alfift, if not
do all the work ; all the trouble with which this
culture feems burthened is amply repaid by this
grateful grain, the time of ripening depends on
the climate ; the northern climes bring it tardily
but the fouthern ones haftily.
After this third hoeing the fpike or male flow-
er will appear in perfection ; you may now ftrip
fome fuperfluous leaves from the lower part of thei
plant which will prove excellent hay for a horfe
and
C X2I )
and fome cows that afe necefiary to keep near the
houfe ; the torn having attained nearly its gfow'h
and the fpikes not lliewing any more pollen,
which is the impregnating yellow duft, that is
feen on it during its flowering fl-ate, we find the
female flower or filken taflTel change colour; the
ears fill and fome lower leaves begin to fade, it will
hot be bad hufl^andry to cut oft' all the tops above
the uppermofl: ear ; this is left two or three days
to dry on the fummit of the plant, then tied in
Iheaves, it is as fine a hay as any known for fee-
ding fiich animals as are intended to be kept a-
bout the farm yard, or in the fl:able, and every
prudent planter will find it his intereft to keep'
fome milch cows (atleaft) at home; this lopping of
the tops is alfo faid to contribute to the filling of
the ears and the fooner ripening of them : the corn
ripens in four or five months from the planting,'
in Florida ; the gathering is done by pulling the
ear from the fl:em, and carrying it in bafkets to a
place where it is llript of all its hufk except the
inner coat, and then it is kept in fome airy loft or
granary : and when wanted for ufe, it is laid in
heaps and threlhed with flails, and afterwards
winnowed like other graim
A report has been fpread that on the Miflif-
fippi it was only necefiary to burn the canesj
make a hole in the ground and put the grain in,
and it will grow without culture -, it is true, but
lefs wife men than Solomon will know fuch
a field at fight to be that of the fluggard, and
know the owner by his Ihabby appearance.
To enumerate the vaft variety of ways in employ-
ing this noble grain for food fuch as hommany^
muili, groars, parched flour, cgld flour, pud-
( 122 )
dings, Anagreeta* and a multitude ofother diflies,
that vary in the difference of ripenefs, grinding or
other ways of drefling it, would be too tedious and
unfit for this work; however the mixing its flour
in equal parts with wheat flour after maceratino-
the firft in water till the liquor becomes flightly
acidulated makes fo fine a bread that i could by
no means think it juft to forget the mention of
this procefs, the meal coarfly ground and cleared
of bran, then boiled with a little fait in water, and
thus mixed with wheat flour, makes alfo a palata-
ble bread of great ufe to the poor ; i hope my reader
will excufe this prolixity, fo great aftaffoflife
deferves fome notice.
III. Peafe, as they are here called but improper-
ly, becaufe fpecies of the Phafeolus and Dolichos
are meant, follow the maize in utility : It is well
known that mofl people ufe them like European
peafe either green or dry, and fome kinds, fuch
as the fmall white f9rt, the bonavift, cuckolds in-
creafe, the white black eyed pea, the white crowder,
and many others, are undoubtedly at leaft as good ; j
add to this that while young, hull and all, they \
make a fine efculent difh for the table, and when
hulled they are as good as green peafe, and as
much admired •, the hulls after threfhing are eagerly
fought after by cattle, and increafe milk, the hogs
fattened with this pulfe are the next beft pork to
thofe fed with maize j thus they infinitely increafe
the quantity of food j their culture is eafy, they are
generally
* Anagreeta is the corn gathered before maturity, and
dried in an oven or the hot fun by which means it retains it*
fweetnefs and is eafily dreiTed, making a line mixture in pud-
dings efpecially with peafe, but this is only praftifed iu the
provinces of New York and New Jerfey.
( 123 )
generally now planted between the corn at the
lecond time of hoeing ; they want little or no at-
tendance in that cafe, as the corn ferves them for
fupport to climb up by, and the further attendance
on the corn alfo ferves the crop ofpeafe; i cannot
but think this hufbandry a very good one as by the
time that the Cirrhi take hold of the corn it is fuf-
ficiently filled to be out of all danger of hurt from
this parafitical nature of the peafe. I alfo believe
that the haulm left behind lupplies the land with
fufficient manure to re-eftablilh its vegetative vi-
gour, which maize is but too apt to exhauft.
The proper pea is not fo fit for the field in this
part of America, therefore only cultivated in gar-
dens for the purpofe of eating them green.
IV. The efculent convolvulus^ vulgo^ fweet pota-
toe, claims the next place in this lift ; this root is
by agriculture meliorated fo much that fome of
the varieties are by no means inferior to any food
we ufe on the fouthern tables, although fome pa-
lates, for inftance my own, can hardly accommo-
date themfelves to them j the following lift will
point out the varieties, in an afcending fcale for
goodnefs.
I ft. Spanijh^ or the original root.
2d. Carolina, little fuperior to the firft.
3d. Brimjlone, from its internal colour, with a
red fkin.
4th. Purple potatoe, having that colour through-
out except a very little of the heart.
5th. Bermudas, or round white potatoe.
The ift. 4th. and a few of the 5th. are cultivar
ted in the Floridas.
The I ft. is fcarce fit for the table being very
fibrous, therefore moft proper to feed cattle > how-
ever
( 124 )
ever pork from hogs fed with them is indifferent,
^nd requires to be hardened a confiderahle tim*?
with corn •, it is remarkable that in pork fed with
them the fat always feparates wholly from the lean,
which is likewife the cafe with that fed on the
common peruvian potatoe, vulgarly called th^
Jrifh.
The 4th and 5th are excellent food and deferv^
^ place on every table j tfie 4th cut into longitUr
^inal dices and fryed is a yery good dilh •, plainly
boiled they are a good fu.ccedaneum for bread.
The 5th being lefs fweet and more dry than
the others are bell for ftewing with meat, fuch
as fat pork or beef, or a fat goofe or duck, to
make what is called an Haricot •, their very mealy
texture renders them the moft proper in room of
tread, or to mix with flour and make bread o^.
They are a profitable crop, and reqiiire a light
fandy foil which muft he made very clean and
mellow ; they are planted in beds or hills, being
propagated from pieces that. have what is called
5in ep in them •, they require two or three hoe-
mgs, and with this management will produce
from three hundred to five hundred bulliels per
acre \ even the laft, if we reckon ten hills ne-
ceflary to make a bulhel.
About July, in rainy weather, flips are takea
from them, and planted in beds to procure a crop
of fmall ones for next years feed.
The very fame treatment is here neceflTary for
^he peruvian potatoe, but it wants oftener co-
vering becaufe the heat of the fummer fun woul^l
ftrengthen the poifonous juices (with which this
genus of night fliade abounds) in thofe that
might be expofed to the air j therefore they are
unfit
(• 125 )
unfit for the field in this climate, nor will they
bear to be kept any time but in the garden";
they win yield fix or eight crops yearly, of a very
^oqd kind for the taUe.
V. Buckwheat juftly deferves the next rank,
it being the moft fattening grain to all animals,
but efpecially hogs and poultry i which laft arc
dways furprifingly multiplied where this grain is
raifed ; to man it is alfo an excellent food ; it is
well known that in Philadelphia buckwheat cakes
are one of the articles of that city at their break-
falls ; it is alfo a noble crop near an apiary, and
will multiply honey greatly j it requires a light
loamy foil well broke, and to be fowed very thin,.
It improves land where ever it is planted.
VI. Th^ paniaim or Guinea corn is next in
this fcale of the produce of the earth ; it differs
from maize in being more difficult to be reduced
into food, and being of too hot a nature for
^rutes, efpecially poultry, who will become blind
by eating it often ; it impoverifhes land, but
when fown at broad call will yield a line and pro-
fitable crop of hay for fuch as are inclined to
keep horfes or milch cows near home, nor has it
in this cafe fo bad an effe<I^ on the foil.
VII. Rice though fo lucrative a commodity
did not deferve an earlier place in this enumera-
tion, becaufe it is not properly a neceffary arti-
cle in the human CEconomy in this country but
a flaple branch of trade, not likely to increafe the
number of profitable members of fociety j howe-
ver notwithilanding it is (for our ufe) only fit for
puddings, and to put in foops, or to make the
wafer-like bread called journey cakes in Garo-
iina, yet it muft be mentioned here on account
" of
( 126 ;
of its ufefulnefs In feeding Negroes, cattle and
poultry.
Its culture is in wet grounds, where in the
dr)^ feafon it is fowed in drills eighteen inches
apart and kept very clean, firft by hoeing, and
afterwards by letting water on juft fufficient to
deftroy the weeds, and not to drown the rice by
covering its top ; for rice will grow in any foil
though it loves watery ones beil ; but the reafon
of letting water on is more to fupprefs other plants
than to forward the growth of rice ; for the crop
grafs and other weeds are kept under by being
covered ; cover the rice and you will alfo deflroy
it; and i have feen good crops in high lands,
when the feafon was but moderately wet \ it is
therefore to fave labour that the planter chufes
wet ground, but fhould he not have the water at
his command, the noxious growth in dry wea-
ther, or a profufion of water in wet weather,
would equally deftroy the crop •, it is therefore
neceffary that great banks and deep ditches ihould
be made to fecure the crop, and that is no work
for new planters to begin.
The grain in the rough is very noble food for
all quadrupeds and poultry; to manufadure it
there is a great deal of labour neceffary; when
manufadured a quart per diem will very plenti-
fully feed a working Negroe, and the duft,
beaten hufk &c. that comes off will caufe all ani-
mals on the plantation to be very fat, efpecially
turkeys, which no place on earth furnifhes equal
to thofe on a rice plantation ; it will require eigh-
teen or twenty buihels of rough grain to make
^ manufactured barrel of 500 pounds weight:
The time of planting is from the end of the frofl
to
( 127 )
to the loth of June, and the feafon for reaping
is generally in Oftober; a fecond crop will rife
fit for fodder. In the twelve mile fwamp in Eajl
Florida i have feen a fecond crop come to perfec-
tion, and no doubt in the grand marfh in latitude
25, 30, in that province it would always yield
twice.
An acre will produce from fixteen to eighteen -
hundred pound weight, manufaftured grain, and
one Negroe will attend three acres in a very corn-
pleat manner.
This grain caufes a great confumption of cy-
prefs and pine wood to be made into caflcs •, confe-
quently a great deal of coopers labour is neceflary,
in which the planter ought to be obliged to em-
ploy white men, it not being harder labour than
is confident with our temperament and conilitu-
tion.
The procefs of manufaduring rice in a great
meafure refembles that of peeling barley, the
planter who has water at command manufaftures
by a water mill, confequently cheaper than he
who is obliged to do it by horfes or by the ma-
nual labour of his flavcs.
This grain has one great article in its favour,
that is the number of hands it employs in tranf-
porting and exporting it, who may be truly faid
to live by it.
The machines for manufafturing it have been
fo often defcribed and figured, that they hardly
ought to be introduced into a work that bears
the name of conciie.
VIII. There is no doubt but beans would
be' found of ufe, were they cultivated on the
ftrong clay grounds which ai-e at fome diftance
from
, ( 128 } :'
from. the MlfTifTippi, and fuch as the lands or
the ridges of the Tafoo^ and in the Chicaiaw na-
tion ; but as long as the canes, reeds, and th<
humberlefs natural grafifes are in fuch abundance
this article is not yet worth attending to, any niof
than crops of turnips, carrots, or cabbage, whici
however would undoubtedly anfwer here for ciil
ture in the field as well as in any other part o
tlie earth.
iX. The artifieial ^r^'j found here are ift;
That kind of grafs known in the illands by the
name of dog grafs, and in Carolina and Georgii
by that of crop grafs, and by the French of Flo-
rida ckiendent ; this fo greatly refembles the a?jnu-
gI meadow grafs, that i would rank it as one 6\
that clafs •, its leaves are broader j this rifes natu-
rally after the ground is broke up and will conti-
nue in the ground for two or three years, wher
the ground being again plowed up, a frelh crop
enfues, and this is all the culture it wants ; ir
Carolina and Georgia, this is apt to plague the
planter much by reafon of its continual renova-
tion, and the llrong matting of its roots whereby
it renders the furface of the earth in a great mea-
fure impenetrable to the hoe, wherefore they
wifh to deftroy it ; but in places where pafture
is fcarce and eagerly defired, they would do well j
to confider its excellent quality in fattening cat-j
tie, and the fondnefs all cattle fliew for it; andj
if inftead of trying clover and other foreign graff-
es, which have fo often baffled their utmoft ef-
forts, they would encourage this eafily cultivate
ed grafs by plowing their poorell grounds once
in two years, they would foon find themfelves
amply repaid by their long wifhed for deftdera'
turn
C 129 }
tum^ pafture ; this grafs will grow kindly in the
pooreft foils of Florida.
2dly, A fecond fpecies of the fame kind with
narrow leaves called by the French Herbe an che-
'val^ from the fondnefs of horfes for it; in Caroli-
na it is called mat grafs from a nutt found at its
root ; this, when once it takes in the ground, is
as eafily entertained as the firfl and makes a very
good pafture on poor ground, but it muft be
well fenced againft hogs, which being very fond
of the nutts would root all up in a Ihort time.
It may be faid that i defcribe thefe graffes as
natural yet call them artificial, but when we re-
flefl, that they require fome kind of culture, the
name of artificial can not be thought improper.
3dly, A grafs not ill refembling fiher hair
grafs^ which is called from the colour of its feed,
black feed grafs, makes an excellent pafture on
the meaneft fand we find in the country ; the feed
is eafily procured in Carolina, Georgia and Eaft
Florida.
4thly, Scud grafs vulgarly called Scots grafs is
a noble grafs on poor land, it grows to the height
of thirty inches and upwai'ds j * an experiment
made by Mr. JVegg at Penfacola convinces me that
this grafs will grow in the fandy land of the pro-
vinces ; the feed or plant may be procured at Ja-
maica where i knew a gentleman of the name of
Jones make 1500I. per annum of a penn by means
R °f
* In wet lands in Jamaica it will grow four or five feet
high though the foil be fandy. It is propagated by cutting
it in pieces, leaving a joint to each piece, this ftuck into
wet fwampy ground foon grows and propagates others, fo
that it becomes a very clofe jnatted fod; ihave feen it called
^ramen -panicum.
( 130 )
of this grafs alone : Cattle prefer it to every other,
5thly, The Pmticum and maize are of ufe as
graffes i have already fhewn how.
6thly, A fpecies of Bolichos lately introduced
into Georgia from China although not properly
a grafs, yet as it thrives to admiration there and
yields four or five crops per annum, i think it
not improper to recommend, as deferving culti-
vation for feeding cattle, the more fo as all kinds
are fond of it.
7thly, Experience has taught us thsit fain-foin,
lucerne, clover and timothy grafs thrive not in
the eaftern part of thefe provinces, the fun being
too hot for them in fummer, at which feafon clo-
ver in particular can not refill it out of the fhade;
on the weflern part of Weft Florida i believe they
might anfwer, but we need not yet look out for
pafture there, while that noble grafs Indian reed
(canna) is fo abundant.
X. Sago might be here produced as well as in
Georgia, for the tree from which the bafis of this
drug is taken abounds particularly in Eaft Flo-
rida ; every body knows of what a vaft ufe it is.
XI. Sefamen or oily grain, This was intro-
duced by Ibme of the Negroes from the coaft of
Africa, into Carolina, and is the beft thing yet
known for extradbing a fine efculent oil ; it will
grow in any fandy ground^ even luxuriantly,
and yields more oil than any thing we have as
yet any knowledge of: Capt. P. M'Kay of Sun-
bury in Georgia, told me that a quantity of this
feed fent to Philadelphia, yielded him twelve
quarts per bufhel ; incredible as this may appear,
i have the greateft reafon to believe him; the
firft run of this oil is always tranfparent, the fe-
cond
( IJI )
cond exprejjion, which is procured by the additi-
on of hot water, is muddy, but on Handing it
will depofit a white fediment, and become as
limpid as the firft-, this oil is at firft of a flightly
pungent tafte, but foon lofes that and will never
gi-ow rancid even if left expofed to the air; the
Negroes ufe it as food either raw, toafted, or
boiled in their foups and are very fond of it, they
call it Benni.
All the culture it requires is to be fown in
drills about eighteen inches apart and by frequent
hoeings to be kept clean.
XII. The ground 7iut alfo introduced by the
Blacks from Guinea^ is next after this for its ea-
fy cultivation, a good kind of oil that does not
foon grow rancid, and the great quantity it
yields ; but the earth does not produce the feed in
fuch plenty as the laft, and it takes up more
room.
XIII. The pumpkins as cultivated in the fields
here, being of an eafy culture in the pooreft foils,
and yielding a great and beneficial increafe of
food, fhould not be forgot, although on account
of their being chiefly ufed as a fauce i have given
them this late place \ their culture is fo eafy as to
require little or no attendance after the feed is in
the ground; they overgrow every kind of grafs
or weed, and are generally planted by dropping
fome feeds in the potatoe or corn fields, and their
increafe is immenle-, was the fhield fhaped fquafh
from the north added to this, it would prove a be-
neficial addition ; all thefe kinds are eagerly eaten
by horfes and cattle of every fort, and they in-
creafe milk. ':
XIV. Liquor is as neceflary as vidtuals; i
WQUW
( >3^ )
would therefore recommend the culture of vmeSy
which will here fucceed with certainty ; afk the!
French inhabitants and they will tell you, that
they once were in a very fair way to make their
own wines at leaft, until an order for the fuppref-
fion of the vineyards came from France ^ the re-
mains of thefe vineyards in many places yet fhew
the pra6licability of this fcheme •, the Spaniards
continue the profcription, but why fhould not we
make this profitable ufe of a country, whofe foil
and climate are evidently inviting us to this at-
tempt, and which experience has taught us are
adapted to it ?
XV. Apples and pears are here of very good
quality, but are never likely to become an ob-
je(5l of attention, by growing in quantities fuffici-
ent to make cyder and perry-, but peaches grow
here of the fineft flavour, and in the higheft per-
feflion, on ftandard trees, and therefore are fit
to be planted in orchards. It is well known
that hogs fattened by them make an excellent
pork; the fuperfluous quantity would not be
ill employed in that way, but as in Virginia
they have fet us the example, why can we not in
Florida alfo diftill their juices, and by means of
that fpirit which becomes excellent by age, at
leaft partially banifh tlie money draining ufelefs
article rum? This tree fhould be grafted not
fo much on account of the choice of fruit (Flo-
rida produces no indifferent ones) as becaufe the
tree in this climate, efpecially. in fandy foils, is
not fo lafting when raifed frOm the nut as when
grafted on its own or any other proper ftock.
XVI. Sugar is a matter at prefent of mere fpe-
tulation^ yet it is. made already near Orleans, al-
though
C 133 )
though acknowledged not to yield the profit of a
rice or indigo plantation. At or near New Smyr-
na Ibme is alfo produced, and rum has been made
there. Some of the lands between the latitude 25
and 27, would undoubtedly yield it to advantage
particularly at the river Rattones and the grand
marih.
We gather from Horace and Virgil that fevere
frofts were common in their time at Rome\ now
ice is fcarce known naturally there-, fo while i
have been acquainted with New York govern-
ment, which is about feventeen years, it feems
to have altered its climate four or five degrees
more fouthward-,* of this we have many ftriking
proofs; this being owing to the opening of the
country it is not unlikely but in time, by clear-
ing the woods of Florida, that country may be
brought to produce fugar to advantage, till then
its culture merits no place here.
XVII. Oranges of various kinds are worth no-
tice as they are on many accounts ufefull in drink
and fauces, and their leaves a good fodder for
fome efculent animals, fijch as fheep, rabbits
and goats -, they thrive extremely well through-
out all Florida.
XVIII. Olives are as yet a matter of fpecula-
tion, but as the wild olive is found here, and the
cultivated one has already fhown its propenfity
to a naturalization in this country, i make no
doubt but they will become a grand article here ;
their utility is fo well known that it requires na
comment;
* The later appearance of froft and the earlier arrival of
fpring, but above al), the vifits paid of late years by fome
fpecies of Ibuthern iifhes to New York harbour, fuch as the
mullet, pcrgy and feme others are evident proofs of this.
( 134 )
comment', their culture can not yet claim room
in this work.
XIX. * Hops grow fpontaneoufly through all
this country.
XX. Having now gone through m.oll of the
different efculent produ6tions of the earth, i
will examine the merits of thoie which are fervice-
able in commerce, be they for manufaflures or
otherways; and among thefe indigo juilly calls
for the firft rank.
The defcription of this plant will more pro-
perly appear in the botanical part of the work.
For its culture it requires a middling rich
loofe foil, and the field ought to be as nearly as
pofTible a perfed: level-, it will grow in any foil
from the heavieft to the lighteft, but rich ham-
mock, or oak land, of a moift nature, is the belt
adapted to this purpofe; the ground Ihould be
thoroughly cleaned, and reduced to a perfect
garden mould j this is the molt laborious part of
the
* In fome of the Swedifh provinces, a ftrong kind of
doth is faid to be prepared from hop ftalks ; and in the
tranfa£lions of the fwedilli acadaniy for the year 1750 there
is an account of an experiment made in confequence of
that report. Of the ftalks, gathered in autumn, about as
much was taken as equalled in bulk a quantity of flax, that
would have produced a pound after preparation. The ftalks
were put into, water and kept covered therewith during the
winter : in March they were taken out, dried in a flove,
and drefTed as flax. The prepared filaments weighed very
nearly a pound, and proved fine, foft and white; they yvere
fpun and woven into fix ells of fine ftrong c'oth. The au-
thor Mr, Schi/sler obferves, that hop ftalks take much longer
time to rot than flax ; and that if not fully rotted, the woody
part will not feparate, and the cloth will neither prove whitq
nor fine. ••
Dr. Lewis's ^notes on Neuman's chymiftry 4to, London
^ISO* P^ge 429^
C ^35 )
the culture, and fo abfolutely necefTary that no
crops can be expefted without it.
Seed of the beftkind abounds on the MifTifllppi,
about four bufhels of feed are requifue for an
acre, it mult be fown in drills about two fett
apart i the time of approaching rain is always
beft; the feafon for fowing fets in the beginning
of March and may be continued down till May ;
if the feafon is any thing favourable it will afford
five cuttings between March and November; fe-
ven weeks being a long allowance between each two
. cuttings ; we muil be very cautious about cutting,
for if that be done in dry weather it will infallibly
deilroy the plant ; but in rainy weather there is
no manner of rifque of this •, by this treatment
and care, the plant is continued for years toge-
ther in the warmer climates •, it ought to be cut
as foon as there is any appearance of blofTom,
ten weeks from planting will generally ripen the
feed perfectly ; when cut, it is tied in bundles
and carried to the vats.
The vats are three in number and ought to be,
the firft very large, the fecond one third lefs, and
the third yet lefs : At the head of the large vat
ftands a pump to fill it with water-, thefe vats par-
ticularly the firft or fteeping vat, ought to be
made of very hard timber; in this fteeping vat the
weed is thrown together, and preffed down with
pieces of live oak or other folid and ponderous
timber ; it is then covered with water by meariS of
the pump ; here it remains to ferment ; the crifis
whereby to know the exaft time it is to remain in
this vat is when the liquor thickens, begins vio-
lently to effervefce and affumes a purpliih blue
colour; this will be effedcd in a greater or lefs
fpace
" ( J36 )
fpace of time from eight to twenty hours accor-
ding to the temperature of the atmofphere.
The fteeping vat projefts with one edge about
three feet over the fecond or beating vat; in this
edge the bottom of the firft has a hole and plug
in it, this plug muft be drawn as foon as the
above figns of the perfection of fermentation ap-
pear, to draw off the liquor from the weed, which
laft is abfolutely ufelefs ; except perhaps it might
•be employed to good purpofe in a faltpetre manu-
facture.
In this fecond or beating vat as foon as the li-
quor is in, it muft be beat or ftirred by a procefs
limilar to churning ; this is a laborious work and
uied to be performed by Negroes, who draw up
and down a lever that has either one or two bot-
tomlefs fquare buckets at each end ; but of late
horfes have been employed in large works ; this
churning is continued till the dying particles are
ieparated from the liquor, or as it were fufficient-
ly congealed to form a body or mafs ; here lies the
fecret of the art, for if the beating is ceafed too
foon a part of the dying matter remains undif-
folved, and if beat too long fome part will again
diflblve-, only experience can teach this criterion^
and there is only one method to try it which is by
taking up fome of the liquor in a phial or cup
and obfervin^ whether the dying matter is inclined
to depofe itfelf or not ; all farther theoretical lelfons
are in vain, the young planter muft have recourfe
to practice.
Lime water is in the Englifti colonies ufed to
"haften the feparation, this i am inclined to believe
fpoils the indigo, neither the French, Dutch, nor
Spaniards ufe any in their plantations.
The
( 137 ) .
The Indigo being arrived at this crifis the chur-
ning ceafes, and it is left to fubfide at the bottom
of the vat ; when the liquor begins to look of a
faint green tranfparent colour the water muft be
drawn off, firft by a cock fixed at a certain height
in the fide of this fecond vat, till you come near
to the fuperficies of the Reftduum which is the in-
digo ; then another cock correfponding with the
third vat muft be opened to let the RefJuum run
into this laft vat, where it remains to fettle a little
longer in order that it may totally difcharge itfelf
of all the tinging matter,* it is then put into bags
of the form of Hippocrates' s (leave to drain it from
all fuperfluous humidity ; thefe bags muft hang ia
the ftiade.
When all the water is drained from it, the re-
mainder, which has all the appearance of mud is
put into very ftiallow boxes, where it is left to
dry •, when it begins to have the confiftence of clay
fit to make brick with, it muft be cut with a very
thin bladed knife into fquare pieces, and then
further left to become quite dry, which is the
ftate in which indigo comes to us.
This laft procefs muft be all done under a ftied
where the air has free accefs but the fun none;
fiiould the fun touch indigo in this ftate, it would
exhale all the tinging matter and leave the mafs
in a colourlefs ftate, fimilar to flate in appear-
ance; beware alfo of moifture for that will keep it
dilTolved and incline it to putrefafton.
Some planters prefs their bags in a box of about
S fix
* This will be compleatly depofited in about 8 or lo
hours time, the Refiduum muft be ftrained through a horfe
hair fieve, previous to its being put into bags in order to
have it entirely pure and free from extraneous matt<?r.
( 138 )
iix feet long three feet wide and two deep, having:
holes in the bottom to let the water olf, and a
ilrong thick board fitting exadly in it ; in this box
the indigo bags are laid and the board with a num- .
ber of weights on it, but whether this method is
better than hanging them in a fhed to dry i know
not.
I Ihould have obferved, that in the drying flied
the pieces muil be carefully turned three or four |
times a day, and that two young Negroes with a J
bufh, wing, or bunch of feathers, ought to be '
employed in fanning the flies out of the drying
fhed, as they are hurtful to indigo ; be cautious
aifo in packing it in barrels not to put it in till
it is thoroughly dryed.
The dimenfions of a fet of vats in Carolina is
about fixteen feet fquare, and three feet deep, in
the clear, for the fteeper; and the battery twelve
feet fquare and four and a half feet deep for eve-
ry feven acres of indigo •, they make them of two
and a half inch plank of cyprefs, and the joints
or ftuds of live oak •, to thefe the planks are well
fecured by feven inch fpikesj fuch a fet will laft
feven or eiglit years.
The bell indigo is called flotant or f.ord; this
is light, pure and approaching to hard ; it floats
on V ater, is eafily inflammable, and is almofl; to-
tally confumed by fire ; the colour is a fine dark
blue inclining to violet, and by rubbing it with
the nail it aflumes the colour of old copper.
The next belt is more ponderous, and is called
violet or gorge de pigeon, its colour being alluded
to i thefe two are beft for dying or fliaining linen
and cotton.
The third kind is of a copper colour deriv-
ing .
( 139 )
ing its name from the coppery appearance it
.exhibits on being broke; this is the weightiell of
all the merchantable indigo, and therefore the
defideratum of the planters ; and is moft ufed for
the woollen manufacture.
The inferior forts are not worth defcribing as
they are unfaleable and unfit for life; they difco-
ver themielves by flintinefs, or a muddy foft
■ crumbling appearance accompanied by a dull
blue colour, often appearing even like flate.
An indigo work fnould always be remote from
the dwelling houfe on account of the difagreea-
ble effluvia of the rotten weed and the quantity
of flies it draws; by which means it is alfo fcarce
pofTible to keep any animal on an indigo plan-
tation in any tolerable cafe, the fly being fo trou-
blefome, that even poultry thrive but little where
indigo is made-, nor is there fcarce a poflibility
to live in a houfe nearer than a quarter of a mile
to the vats ; the fl:ench at the work is likewife
horrid : This is certainly a great inconvenience,
but it is the only one this profitable bufinefs is
fubje6t to.
XXI. Cotton being fo very ufeful a commodity
that fcarce any other exceeds it, and an article of
which we can never raife too much (for like all
other things, the more it is multiplied the more
its confumption increafes) it therefore behoves
me to mention it as fecond in rank: We, by
following the example of the induflirious Acadi-
ans, will do well to manufadture all our necefla-
ry clothing in Florida of this ftaple, and although
it has not yet been raifed in a fufficient extent to
export a confiderable quantity thereof, yet when
we confider the number of manufadures in Lan-
cafhire
( HO )
cafhire, Derbyfhire, and Chefliire that confumc
this benificial commodity either alone or in mix-
ture with filk, wool, flax, &c. and that England
imports all the rough materials from abroad
(chiefly from the Levant) to fo great an amount
as near 400,0001. fl:erling value, we may perhaps
find it worthy of a more univerfal propagation ;
i ihall, in hopes that this may take place, give
the method of culture and of cleaning this pro-
duce of our earth.
The natural hiftory of the plant and its cha-
radters, fpecies and varieties will be found in the
botanical account.
Cotton will grow in any foil, even the moft
meagre and barren fand we can find.
The fort we mufl: cultivate here is the Gojfypi-
um Anniverfarium or Xylon Herbaceimi ; alfo known
by the name of green feeded cotton, which grows
about four or five feet in height. Give this
plant a dry foil and further it will cofl: you little
trouble or attention ; it muft be planted in rows
at regular difl;ances about fix feet apart; plant
the feed in rainy weather and in about five
months time the fibres will be compleatly form-
ed and the pods fit to gather, which will be
known by their being compleatly expanded •, it
mufl: now be carried to the mill of which take
the following defcription.
It is a ft:rong frame of four fl:uds, each about
four feet high and joined above and below by
ilrong tranfverfe pieces •, acrofs this are placed
two round well poliflied iron fpindles, having a
fmall groove through their whole length, and by
means of treddles are by the workman's foot put
in diredly oppofite motions to each other ; the
workman
( 141 ) ^
workman fits before the frame having a thin board,
of feven or eight inches wide and the length of
the frame, before him •, this board is fo fixed to
the frame that it may be moved, over again, and
near the fpindle ; he has the cotton in a bafket
near him, and with his left hand fpreads it on this
board along the fpindles which by their turning
draw the cotton through them being wide enough
to admit the cotton, but too near to permit
the feed to go through, which being thus forced
to leave the cotton in which it was contained, ancj
by its rough coat entangled ; falls on the ground
between the workmans legs while the cotton
drawn through falls on the other fide into an open
bag fufpended for that purpofe under the fpin-
dles.
The French in Florida have much improved
this machine by a large wheel, whicli turns two of
thefe mills at once, and with fo much velocity as
by means of a boy, who turns ir, to employ two
negroes at hard labour to (hovel the feed from
under the mill : One of thefe machines i faw at
Mr. Krebs at Pafia Oocooloo, but as it was partly
taken down, he claiming the invention was very
cautious in anfwering my queftions, i cannot pre-
tend to defcribe it accurately ; i am informed that
one of thofe improving mills will deliver feventy
or eighty pounds of clean cotton per diem.
The packing is done in large canvas bags,
which mud be wetted as the cotton is put in, that
it may not hang to the cloth and may Aide better
down ', the bag is fufpended between two trees,
pofts or beams and a negro with his feet (lamps it
down ; thefe bags are made to contain from three
hundred and fifty to fonr hundred weight-, with
about
f 142 )
- about twenty flaves moderately working a very
large piece of poor ground might be finely impro-
ved fo as to yield to its owner a fine annual in-
come by means of a ftaple which is much in de-
mand in England, and here is raifed by no means
inferior in whitenefs and finenefs as well as length
of fibres to that of the Levant.
XXII. The Mulberry^ deierves our next notice
for a two fold cloathing it provides us with.
Among my botanical articles the reader will
find the defcription of one of this ciafs, which i
have all the reafon in the world to believe to be
the Moms papyrifera and which i have on page 20
of this volume diftinguifhed by the name of
Morns foliis palniatis^ cortice filament ofa^ friiLlu ni-
gro^ radice tinBor'ia.
This tree is found in abundance in the North
Weftern parts of Florida: The chactaws put
its inner bark in hot water along with a quantity
of alhcs and obtain filaments, with which they
weave a kind of cloth not unlike a coarfe hempen
cloth; i would propofe to boil the bark in a
flrong alkaline Lixivhm^ by which means i make,
no doubt but a very fine and durable thread of the
nature of cotton, flax or hemp might be obtain-
ed; the root of this fame tree likewife yields an
excellent yellow dye : But i iliall here treat of
the article, which is moft commonly known to
be produced by means of the mulberry tree, this
is filk: A very fhort time about fix weeks in
the year will fuffice for all the labour requifite to
acquire this valuable article, and that labour is
fo light as only need children to attend it
The gathering of the leaves being the moft la-
borious part of tlie work i would advife the fow^
( H3 )
ing the feed as it were at broad caft, fo that it
may fpring up in form of wide hedges of about
ten feet breadth leaving a lane of two feet between
each pair, by this treatment the leaves may be
gathered by means of a pair of fheers or if the
hedges are narrower the hand may do it, without
the difagreable neceffity of climbing trees, which
is always more or lefs attended with fome danger,
and as this is a female bufmefs, with indecency. .
I am convinced mulberry bullies will grow
thus and yield abundance of leaves and therefore
this method is eligible before groves or orchards,
which take up much room and have a dirty ef-
fe6l during the fruit feafon.
All the fpecies of mulberry trees grow kindly
in Florida and fome people pretend the white kind
to be beft, but on my jftrifteft enquiries i could not
find in what manner .this affe£ts the worms, but i
would have the filk planter be very cautious if he
has one kind iri'his nurfery, ftridly to banilh the
other, becaufe this change of leaves is certainly the
reafon of fome of the difeafes attending the worms :
The remainder of the filk culture is no more
than to keep the worms well fed, and the apart-
ment where they are kept thoroughly clean ; when
they begin to acquire a certain transparency, the
period of their fpinning or refolving themfelves
into a Chry falls is at hand-, then it is necefi^ary to
put up bundles of fome flight thin twigs between
the fiielves. The zvHd or dogs fennel affords a ready
and proper material for it ; here the worms will
naturally enough mount upon and pitch on a place
where to metamorphofe themfelves into a cocoon -,
in Georgia we have a filature, likewile at Puryf-
burgj but as there are none in Florida i will fub-
join
( 144 ;
join the following account of its preparation for
the manufaftury.
ill. The cocoons are to be put into an oven
juft hot enough to deprive thc-Chryfalis it involves
of life, without hurting, the fibres of the cocoon :
A heat fomething below Fahrenheit s fcale for
boiling water will effedt this : without this precau-
tion the infed eats its way out and deftroys the
thread of filk.
2dly. It mud then be put into a copper with
water juft on the boil and kept fo, this will dif-
charge the glutinous matter from the cocoon and
difcover the end of the clew j then taking feveral
of thefe ends together they are gently reeled off,
and afterwards fpun and prepared for the loom.
This procefs is hurtful to the elafticity and
ftrength of the filk, though it does not deprive it
of its glofs: Therefore if we could attain the
knowledge how the raw filk is managed in the
Levant^ it would be the moft eligible way ; all
we know about this is, that it is performed with-
out hot water: tliis is called rav/ fiik and comes in
bales to England and other manufadluring coun-
tries.
The refufe cocoons either damaged by the in-
feft or other ways, are carded in Europe, and are
then improperly ftiled raw filk ; this fnould not
be confounded with the above named from the
Levant^ being by no means equal to it. After
the filk is reeled off, we find fome irregular coar-
fer kind on the inner divifion of the cocoon ; da-
maged cocoons are mixed with this, as alfo the
inner divifion next over the Chryfalis^ after being
Ileeped in warm water to dillipate its gelatinous
parts ; this mixture is carded and QdMtdifloretting.
All
( H5 )
Ail thefe carded filks loofe their luftre by that
jprocefs. ' \
Of this commodity there is at prefent imported
into Baitain
* From Spain and Italy to 7 ^
the value of ^ ^ >C. i, 500, ooo
t Prom Turkey, the Eaft 7
Indies, and China; £ 400, 000
• £. Sterling i, 900, 000
This account fhews fufficiently how beneficial
this bufinefs would be to America, would we
by our induftry in a very light labor* try to
oblige England to let this money circulate here
inftead of among Spaniards, Italians, Chinefe,
and Turks ; which is by no means impoflible,
fince the bounteous hand of nature has furnilhed
lis with the requifite plant among the number of
thofe that are indigenous in Florida.
XXIII. The Carthamus Tin^orius or fafflbwer
is likewile found among the indigenous plants in
the wefVern part of Florida; this ufeful dying
Weed requires but little cultivation, and well de-
ferves our attention in that country.
XXIV. Hemp and jftax (according to a very
ingenious performance J ) Britain imports from
the Baltic annually to the value of 500,000!,
fterling; another great encouragement for Flori-
dfi'j neither Carolina nor Georgia have any lands
comparable
* Thoughts on the times, and the filk manufaftory 8vo.
page 7, anno 1765.
f Political eflays concerning the prefent llatc of the Bri-
tifli empire, 4to. page 191, London 1772.
X Mufeum Rufticum, vol, i, page 457.
( H^ )
comparable to our fine lands on the MiflKTippi,
and yet they have already exported confiderable
quantities of hemp, and thus fet Florida an ex-
ample well worthy of imitation j the lands are fo
rich on the Mifiiffippi, that neither of thefe two
impovefifhing plants will exhauft them, therefore
let us apply ourfelves to tiiis cultivation, which
'is fo univerfally known as not to need defcripti-
on ; thoroughly pulverizing the earth, and not
fowing it too thick are almoft the only things to
be attended to in its cultivation, and the proper
criterion of rotting the ligneous parts of the plant,
fo that they may be eafily feparated in the brake,
is the only one of moment in preparing it for em-
barkation.
Add to this, that ere long we fhall have ex-
tenfive fettlements producing immenfe quantities
of materials for exportation on and near the banks
of that almoft unbounded interior ocean the Mif-
filTippi, for three thoufand miles up it; not to
mention the products of the river Ohio, the
Shawamfe, Ouahache, Hogoheegee, Tafoo, Mijfouri,
Sl Peter. St. Francis, and the red and black ri-
vers with many others of inferior note, all emp-
tying themfelves in it, where there is fo much
room for the increafe of people-, which alwa)'^
proceeds in proportion as there is more fpace for
them to fit down in, this is beyond reply veri-
fied by fo amazing a rapidity of increafe as Ame-
rica has experienced within thefe tv/enty years,
being no lefs than in triplicate proportion. Now
it is evident, that to carry off the produce of this
vaft traft, it will be neceffary to build fhips in
every part of it which together with their bulky
commodities ipuft be fold abroad, as very few
fraall
C 147 )
fmall craft will be fufficient ro bring up the
trifling returns the inhabitants of this happy
country may (land in need of; this being the
cale-let us confider that timber, iron, lead, &c:
are found up this river, but v/ithout rigging and
fails they cannot conftitute a fhip •, likewile we
muft recoiled:, that rigging and fails are bulky
articles and would coft much for carrying up fo
immenfe a diftance. Think not reader, that
these are chimerical ideas, by no means ; every
part above named has already in fome degree ex-
perienced more or lefs the.effeds of the induftri-
ous ax and hoe in the hands of the Herculean
fons of America.
There is a very ftrong kind of fibre called In-
dian hemp in Florida; i would recommend an
inquiry into what it is-, the favages ufe it and i
am perfuaded we fhould find it worth improving.
The ufe of flax is too wellknown and its necef-
fity fo evident, that a defcription or recommenda-
tion of its culture and preparation would befuper-
fluous.
The North American Annona^ the Lime^, and
Mahoe tree ; all indigenous in Florida, yield each
a ferviceable bark of great ufe if properly manu-
fa(5iured. • ; i
XXV. 'Tahacco is a fource of great riches 'm
this country •, the French have proved that this'
plant may be produced in great quantities and of
the belt quality-, this may be made an article of
great emolument efpecially as that trade is excef-
fively on the decline in Virginia and Maryland,
but if we cannot keep it clear from the multipli-
city of incumbrances it is faddled with in thofe co-
lonies, fuch as a trade by factors and many etcjeteraf
which
( 148 )
which makes its value to the planter verj?
inconfiderable, i would rather cultivate none -, i^
is a rank luxuriant, impoverifhing vegetable, re-
quiring a deep rich foil fuch as the MiffiHippi
alone affords here ; therefore it will undoubtedly
thrive i its culture is almoft identically the fame
as that of the Zea^ but i would advife the planting
it further apart, fuch as fix feet at leaft •, the only
material thing this culture differs in, is becaufe
the feed being exceedingly diminutive in fize it
muft be fown in beds of rich new ground, which
has been well manured, with the alhes of the bruih
cut off from it; from hence it is tranfplanted iri
regular rows at the above named diftances : In
about three weeks time it will be advanced to the
growth of a foot : Now the firfl hoeing takes
place, and fuckers and worms begin to appear 5,
from both thefe the plants muft be carefully
cleared.
The plants are at this period out of danger of
being fcratched out of the ground by a large flock
of turkies which may now be turned into the field,
who will not touch the plants but carefully look
for the worms that infed them, of which thofe
birds are very fond ; and thus they will fave 4
great deal of labour, but the fuckers muft be at-
tended to by human labour, which is alfo requir-
ed to keep the ground clear from weeds \ when
the plant attains the heighth of eighteen inches
it muft be deprived of its head and ftripped of its,
lowermoft leaves, referving a few with their heads
on for feed : In about eleven weeks after they
are tranfplanted the plants ceafe growing and the
leaves affume a variegated colour of different
green fhades j this is an indication of their matu-
rity i
( H9 ) .
rity, they are then cut and laid in heaps to fweat
jfor about fixteen hours ; next day thsy are car-
ried to a fhed, fo conftrudled as to admit a
free circulation of air through every part thereof,
but well covered againft rain ; this is the pradlice
\n Virginia •, in fome countries they keep all the
jight out except where the rays cannot immedi-
ately refleft on the tobacco ; in this Ihed they
are hung with their tops downwards for about
fix weeks ; then taking advantage of a day when
|:he atmofphere is pretty much loaden with moif-
ture, they are laid on a kind of floor of poles, and
left to fweat for about ten or twelve days •, now
the leaves are ftripped off and the tops kept fepa-
rate from the middle and the lower leaves ; the
uppermoft leaves being the beft tobacco and the
lower the worft; they are then made up into very
plofe packed bundles called in Florida Carrots^
which are held together by a ft ring of bark ; there
are at prefent but two forts produced viz Nojiqui^
toche and Pointe coupky the firft infinitely fuperior
to the fecond.
XXVI. Pitch, tar and turpentine being the
produce of vegetables will not improperly come
in here •, the procefs of making the common tar
is by fplitting the heart of the pitch pine, fallen
down (with which the ground is covered in the
eaftern and fouthern parts of Florida) into finall
flicks of the length of -about three feet, and ar-
range them into a kiln of a circular form -, but as
this is a procefs hardly to be learned by theory,
i will recommend it to the inquifitive reader to in-
form himfelf at a tar kiln great or frnall, which
are a very common occurrence thoughout this
fon^nent.
Sometimes
( 150 )
- Sometimes this kind of tar is made of pine
knots without fplitting.
The green tar has not yet been made in Flori-
da and until i gave fome account of the procefs
to fome of the planters there, it was intirely un-
known in the country.
This is rnade from trees that have been tapped
for turpentine, and continued running for about
three years, by chopping the bark off by degrees
to twelve or fifteen feet high ; they are then cut
down and fplit into fmall flicks i and the tar is
made by the fame operation as the common fort.
^ Notwithftanding the great quantities of pitch
pine in Florida, turpentine has not yet been
made there; even in February 1773 when i was at
Orleans^ there being a neceffity for fome turpen-
tine on board of the veffel (in which i came from
thence) the Captain was obliged to pay fixteen
dollars for a half caflc of it, and i have been in-
formed,_ that even then it was fold in that town
for medicinal ufes at a great price by the pint and
quart.
The procefs is very fimple ; a hole is cut in
the tree on the fide moft expofed to the folar
rays (in large trees two of thefe may take place)
thefe holes are cut flanting downwards leaving
the bottom concave and large enough to intro-
, duce a calebafh to dip out the gum, which depo-
fits its felf in the bottom of the hole-, this hole
is called a box, and the turpentine is dipped out
of it and put in caflcs : Florida, efpecially the
Eaftern and Southern parts, has the advantage
for this bufinefs of the more Northern provinces by
not being tied .down to any particular feafon, the
climate admitting of this work the year round.
Pitch
. ( 151 )
Pitch is in this country generally made by bur-*
ning the tar in the clay hole into which it runs from
the kiln but i would recommend the ufe of a ftill
for this purpofe, which is agreeable to the practice
in Sweden and Germany ; by this means a very va-
luable eflential oil is faved which arifes in the
boiling •, this oil is called Oleumpni or Oleum tced^.
It is of great ufe with painters, varnilhers &c,
on account of its drying quality, it foon becomes
thick of a confiftence like balfam ; Along with
this oil comes over a watery liquor, which the
workmen injudicioufly throw away; it is a good
acid fpirit, capable of being applied to fundry
ufeful purpofes : Neuman fays he knew a perfon
in France, who had faved by it feveral thoufand
dollars.*
Refin commonly called Rojin is beft made by
diftillation alfo, a confiderable quantity of oil
would be obtained, and the expence of a ftill
would be amply repaid by thefe favings.
As pitch and tar are often ufed to pay roofs of
houfes &c. and the addition of red lead &c. made
ufe of, which has proved ineffectual, and as the fame
obfervation takes place with regard to fhips bot-
toms, were water (as does air in the former cafe)
corrodes the pitch, i think it not improper to in-
fert the following note of the ingenious Dr. Lewis
on Neuman's chymiftry : " An anonymous cor-
" refpondent of the Swedifh academy obferves,
*' that the tarred or pitched boards or Ihingles,
*' with which houfes in many places are covered
^' are foon damaged by the heat and moifture,
" the fun's heat melting off the tar fo that the
" wood renlains bare. Some have endevoured to
" prevent
* Neuman's chymiftry ^j^to. page ?S3, London 1759.
( 152 )
^* prevent this, by laying on the tar late in the
•* year, that the winter's cold might fix it; ail
*" expedient of fome ufe, but very far from
*' being effedual, fot* however the tar may be
'* hardned by the winter, the return of fummer
« foon makes it foft again. Others have mixed
^« fmith's cinders with the tar, which inftead of
*', mending the matter makes it worfe, all pon-
** derous fubftances do the fame. He fays, he
" has never found any addition comparable to
** coal dull (that of charcoal he feems to mean)
•' which is to be ftirred into tar made hot in fuch
*' a quantity as to make it thick: The mixture
•' is to be laid on with wooden trowels in a hot
" day : tar thus prepared, he fays, is fixed, ne-
*' ver runs, binds and hardens furprifingly from
*« heat and moifture and Ihines better than oil
« varnilh."
Pitch burnt in a clofe furnace, fo that no fmoak
efcapes caufes a foot to arife, which is the lamp
black fo much in ufe.
The lafl quoted gentleman in the fame page *
favours us with the following annotations : As
i think other words than his own, cannot be fo
defcriptive of any procefs whatever, i hope my
reader will excufe thefe quotations :
" What is called lamp black (originally per-
** haps the foot colle6led from lamps) is obtain-
*' ed in different parts of Germany, Sweden, &C;
" not from pure refm or pitch, but from the
" dregs and pieces of bark of the trees feparated
" in their preparation, for making common refin,
** the impure juice collected from incifions in
" pine and fir-trees is boiled down with a little
" water
* Neuman's chymiilry 410. page 289, London 1759.
i 153 ;
** "v^ater, and ftrained whilft hot thi-ougK a fack,
** dn cooling the relin ccmgeals upon the furface
*'^ -of" die water, and is then packed up in bar-
,** rels ; it is diftinguifhed according to its color,
"^ mto white, yellow and brown. The drofs lefc
" on {training is burnt for lampblack in a low
*' oven, from which the fmoke is conveyed by a
'*'• longpaffage into a fquare chamber, having an
'*' aperture in the top, upon which a large fack
"^^ is faftened: the foot concretes partly in thfe
**' fack, which is occafionally removed, and part-
" ly in the chamber and canal, from which it is
*' fwept out."
XXVII. Gmn tlani is a telin fit for many me-
dicinal ufes, and the produd of a fpecies of Pij-
tachia, very common in the fouthern and fouth-
■eallern parts of Florida ; the wood in itfelf is not
valuable, but as the gum is one of thofe articles,
that are generally brought to England in a fo-
phiftieated ftate : this tree is worthy our atten-
tion, and may prove a ferviceable article to the
Cou^ntry ; but this is not the only ufeofthis tree,
^ is very ufcful for cattle either in dry f^fons in
the fouthern part of the country, or for fuch as
■^are kept up at the farm yard, they are very
fond of the leaves of this tree, which are a whole-
fome food, increafmg milk, and keeping cattle
in a thriving condition.
XXVlH. A fpecies of tree greatly r^fembling
the poplar is found in W'efl-Fhridu, which pro-
duces, if not the Tacamahaca^ at leaft fomethifig
, idf the refinous kind fo extremely like it, that it
is not diftinguiiliable from it -, i am told, that the
refin is obtained by digefting die buds, which
appear early in the fpring.
U XXIX.
XXIX. The Liqiiidambar^ or maple leaved
Storax is alfo found in abundance in both Flori-
das ; from this the Storax is produced, by boil-
ing the branches : this valuable gum may be
worth attention, as a great deal might be gathered
in thefe provinces.
XXX. Cortex Eleuthera, or Cortex Winteranns,
is an article found in abundance in the fouthern
parts of the Peninfula ; the people from Provi-
dence know it by the name of Cafearilla, and car-
ry a good deal of it to market ; it is a medical
plant of goodufe, and worth our notice. ^
XXXI. Balaujiians, or the double flowering Pome
granate comes to a good perfedion here, and as
they are a profitable article they deferve our at-
tention.
XXXII . China Root is found in both pro-
vinces, but the prickly plant, commonly known
by that name, does not yield the genuine kind ;
the true one, which is not thorny, is alfo found in
abundance ; and as in India this is paid for at the
rate of from 6 to 1 6 fhillings per hundred pounds,
to fend to Europe, it undoubtedly is an article
worth exporting from America.
XXXIII. Ipecacuanha is found in almofl eve-
ry fpot of oak land in this country, it may deferve
to be manufaftured from the fpontaneous root, if
not to be cultivated.
XXXIV. Jalap, an article of confequence in
trade, not only on account of its ufe in phyfic,
but likewife for its univerfal ufe in the fermenta-
tion of liquors : Europe has hitherto been obliged
to import this article from Mexico, in which
kingdom is a place called Xalepfo, or Haleppo, of
which this drug bears the name j the only place
where
( 155 )
where it was fuppofed to grow : we have hitherto
been at a lofs to know the genus it belongs to,
and many roots of purgative quality have_ been
fuppofed to be it, and were fubftituted in its
room : the late Do5lor Houfion introduced it from
Mexico into Jamaica ; but while he was gone to
England the man whom he left in care of it, fuffered
hogs to deftroy it ; however, this gentleman
brought a pencil drawing of it to Europe, but as
this did notihew the colour, and the feed has been
fown in the botanical garden, at Chelfea, without
fuccefs, what it was remained ftill a fecret, until
i accidentally found it growing wild near Penfa-
cola ; being led to think, that a certain tuberous
root made ufe of by the favages as a purgative
might be it ; i dried fome dices of it, and found
it fo nearly agree with that drug in appearance,
that it caufed m,e to examine all the convohuli i
could find in this country, becaufe i was inform-
ed that to that genus the plant belonged : I fuc-
ceeded, and famples, which i fent to divers parts
of Europe and America, have proved to be it,,
and of a good quality \ this plant is pretty plen-
tiful in fome fpots on the higheft and drieft lands,
and i fuppofe its cultivation muft be fomewhat
analogous to that of carrots.
XXXV. The above refearches among the con-
vohuli^ have made me acquainted with another
of that genus^ which feem.s to amwer to the Scam-
mony plant ; i am not yet able with certainty to
determine whether it really is the Scammony or
not, but have gre^t reafon to believe it is.
XXXVI. Seeds of the true EJhuharh * having
U 2 ■ been
• In Bojjfuh travels by Fofiert vol. i. page 353, London
0 1^6' > 1
been lately introduced into^Jmrnca^, and the deep.:'
foil ^ of the MiJJiJJippi^ being very proper for itSi
cultivation, i would by aU means recommend
trials to be made for raifing that valuable root,,
which i think will not fail to anfwer our expec-
tation.
XXXVII. A fhrub reiembling in its fru6li-
fication the Stmry Anife h found in Weft-Florida^^
but it totally wants the aromatic tafle of the feed-,
perhaps cultivation may bring it to die fame ftate
of perfection with the oriental.
XXXVIII. Silk Grafs grows on the mofl: bar-
ren fand hills oi Florida (called black Jack ridges)
if it does not deferve a cultivation on account of
its fibres ; yet the root having been found by ex-
perience to wafh woollen the cleanell and whitcfl
of any thing yet known, ^ere^ would it not
be ufeful for the woollen manufadoiy .?"
XXXIX. Arnoito, a ufeful dye is introduced
in the colony j i have feen fome of the plants- vi-
177 1, mention is Ta2.AQ hoth. q( Jalap ^nARhuliarh, as in-
digenous in W'eji -Florida', my ftridell inquiry on the fub-
jeft near the banks of MiJJi£}j>pi haive been in vain to find
Rhubarb, or even any thing the French call fo,, and, as for
"Jalap i have all the reafon in the world to believe, that
this fuperficial writer never was in thofe parts- of Weft -Flo-
rida where it is found, as he wrxste his book merely to
blacken the officers of a different opinion from himfelf, \\\
regard to their conduft-in admitting Fnglijh veilels in time
of need, into Nenxi Orleans, and being an inveterate enemy'
ofM. t>e Kerlerec in particular, cloaked it under the fpe-
cious title he has done, and therefbre i believe, that he re-
ceived all he fiys, concerning natural hiflory, from hear fay-
only, and thus has been \tA to. miftake a kind oi Belh de Muit
with a purgative root, which is pretty common on Mi^£tppi,
for the true Jalap.
Mr. Fofter in hie note on this paffage has copied the fame
miftakc, when he fays it is the Mirabilrs.
C 157 ).
goraus and in gpo.d healdi, in Mr. Weg^^^. gar-
den ; fl;iould it lucceed, its cukivstion is by OQ
Hieans to be negledted,.hov/ever, if it fails in lyeji-
Florida^, the fQuthern parts of Eaftr h hrida.mW
certainly produce it.
XL. My knowledge of Mojfes being hitherto.
very confined, i fhail not fpeak with certaintj^-
about the Jr^al (Lichen Rocella) but having feea
iome jnojfss on the rocky i0ands., and part ofthe
J^minfuld greatly refembling the Argal, gatheried
on the ifland q{ Orchilla, i verily believe this va-
luable article to be there, if not it might eaiily be
introduced from Orchlla ; the lace ot this, part of
the country exadly refembhng that idandy ar.d
its climate being nearly the fame.
XLI. Cochineal. This valuable inled is found
in pretty large quandries in. the Floridas, efpeciaJly
in theeailern province, ofthe kind, which is cal-
led Sylvejier-) on a fpecics of CaSus, or Opurdia ;.
could the true Cochineal Cadlus be introduced into
Eaft-Florida^ i make nodoubtofits fucc ceding, and,
the vicinity ofthe Cochineal countries makes this
not at ail improbable ; the people from the Mufr-
keto Shore, or Bay of Honduras might be fervice>-
able in obtaining it.
XLII. Sumach greatly neceflary in dying and
tanning, which is much ufed for preparing Turkey
leather ;, Icveral kinds grow in the fourhern parts, .
oi Americ^^ and therefore it is worth our while to
enquire into the matter, to know which kind is.
ufed for this purpofc. This plant is alfo known
in medicine. The large kind is ufed to m^ake
vinegar with, and i am told by the French people,,
that a piece of the wood put into a calk of weak
U 3 or
C '58 )
or faded vinegar, or even water, will produce an
intenfely fharp vinegar.
As a hint to travellers, in the fouthern parts of
America^ where the diftance between the fettle-
ments often obliges us to carry our provifions
with us, i will afliire them, that the fruit of this
kind, fteeped a very (hort time in water, com-
municates to it a very agreeable acid flavor, which
will render it very Ht to make punch ; which agree-
able liquor proves a great refrelliment in a hot
day, in tlie woods.
Another kind pofTefTes a noxious quality ; this
grows in low grounds ; beware therefore of mak-
ing fpits of this to roaft meat on, and take it for a
general rule pot to employ any wood (unlefs you
are well acquainted with it) growing in low
grounds for that purpofe, as almoft all the noxious
plants, of this country, are found in fuch fitua-
tions ; in high grounds you may indifcriminately ^
ufe any wood (which has no bad tafte) for that
purpofe.
XLIII. If the acorns of the ^lercus Suuer could
be introduced here, i make no doubt, in this part
of the world (where above twenty kinds of oak
are indigenous) the cork manufacture might be
profitably carried on.
Since i am on the fubjed of oaks, i beg leave
to mention, that in New-England there are works
for making an extra<5l of oak bark, which yields
a confiderable ,advantage by fending it to Europe
for the ufe of the tanners.
I have feen alio a kind of dwarf oak producing
galls ; guere, could they not be made ufe of?
XLIV. Madder^ Ruhia Tin^orum. This root
is one of the moft ufeful ingredients in dying
wooll
\ ^59 )
I wool! and fluffs red, as alfo cotton of an agree-
i able bloom color, and coniequently much ufed in
England for the different manufa(fl:ures j but in-
i comparably the greateft quantity uied is imported
from abroad, to the amount of large fums.
It is likewife faid, that Madder is an excellent
food for cattle, that it increafes milk, and caufes
the butter to have a moft agreeable color and fla-
, vor ; i know it to be fometimes cut for hay and
we are told, that it makes an excellent fodder.
This plant does undoubtedly deferve our atten-
tion in Florida, on the above accounts, efpecially
as the many trials to grow it to advantage in Eng-
land, leem for the moft part unfuccefsful. Ma-
ny different kinds of madder have been tried for
this purpoie, but none have yet proved of real
ufe except the RubiaTin£iorumSativaoi C. Baw
hine, which is the fort cultivated in Zealand, and
Ibme parts oi Aufirian 'Blander s.
If it be objcded to the culture of Madder in
Florida, that thefe are in a very different climate
from the fouthern part of Brittjh America, let it
be remembered that in the Levant it is cultivated
with fuccefs, and that what comes from thence is
a more valuable dye.
The ground in which Madder thrives beft ieemS
to be a deep black mould, in fomething of a low
fituation, which fhould not have a clay founda-
tion, but fand or gravel ; the land in Zeeland is,
and that on the river Amite, feems to be in gene-
ral of this kind.
It is cultivated in Zeeland by offsets, or Ihoots,
which they take from an old plantation, and re-
plant immediately in rows, about eighteen inches
apart j the young plants have each a diftance of
four
\ 100 ; '
four inches allowed them, and the grOnnx3 is di-
vided into beds of twelve feet wide, leaving a ditch
of about twenty inches between therii -, this is done
i'n the beginning of May, and great care is taken
that no offset is planted, without it be fiirniflied
xvith iibres ; as it is thought that for want of fibres
they -would mifcarry, wliich they often do -even in
the molt favourable leafons. The greateft labotrr,
i think, i have feen the people at in Holland, m re-
gard to this culture, is the covering the ftalks
when they attain the height of aboivr fixteen
inches, leaving only the tops bare, inorderto pro-
mote the multiphcation of roots, which is the part
of the plant manufadured and foid ; v/hen this
covering is performed, there remains only the at- •
tention of weeding, which ought to be done oiten';
the root is generally taken up the fecond year, biit ;
i think i have heard it faid, as well as read it, that :
three fummers are neceffary for this crop to come
to full maturity ; the roots, which are laid to yield
the moft and bell dye, have been taken up, when
they had obtained aoout three tenths, of an inch
diameter in fize -, it is thought that when they
grow too large, they yield a dye more inclining
to yellow than red.
The lateral fibrous vermicular roots, are faid
to yield a iuperior dye, but not to pay for the
expence neceffary forgathering them.
From this genera! fketch of the Madder Cul-
ture, fuch as It is in Holland and Zeeland, my
readers may ice, that it is not lo expenfive an af-
•fair as it is generally det-med to be, but like all
ether things the culrivation of this plant m«y be:
carried on at tooct.ft'y a rate, and it hkewile may
be attempted in too penurious a way : I have en-
deavoured
endeavoured to make my wrrting InteHigible to
every capacity, and therefore hope, that every one
of my readers mfay bele(3intathe true idea of this
culture, to make it ahfwer the purpofe in Florida.
This cdtivation by fets or fhoots being prac-
tifed in countries where the feed does not at all, or
very difficultly com6 to maturity, i think the feed
ought to bd introditced' into Florida, or endea-
vours made ta obtain' it, from plants to be car-
ried or tffatifplanted there, which, if produdive of
feed, it Ought to be Ibwn in drills, like rice ;
which i would think the mod elegible in the mo-
derate climates of thofe provinces. I believe this
plant to be a gtdat impoveriihbr of the Ibil, for in
■Zeeland rliey always allow fome yeats between eve-
ry two crops in the fame Ipot.
As it has lately been faid, that there was no ne-
ceflity for drying Madder, and that in ufing it
green, there is eVen in the evaporation of dying
matter a- ikving of one half, bcfides the gi^ater
ikving of the'expences of ^ kiln, a mill, a- drying
Houfe, &:c. r muft inform my reader, that he
will fincl all this trucj but then it will be necef-
fary for him to tranfport the dying houfes from
Europe to our Madder fields, and not the Madder
to the dyers, in order to enjoy the profits of all
this great and oeconomicai frugality; for per-
haps thei^ is not a plant on earth fo foon inclining
to fermehtatioii and putrefadlion, which is occa-
fioned by its fucculency ; yet for the planters pre-
ient family-ufe it is certainly fit to ufe green ; as
fbon as the roots have become fpottcd, or black,
or loft a ftrong fcent (fimilar to that of liquorice)
they are utterly unfit for any ufe ; i Ihall therefore
iiiake a^ few remarks, neceffary to be known for
^ X the
C i^^ )
die dryiiig procefs in Florida. A bot, fun-Iliiny
day may be uled to advantage, to dry the roots
partially ; but if the weather be not favourable^
when the roots are taken up, they mull be fpread
within doors on a floor, taking care to Ipread them
thinly, and ftir them often ; but this will never
abfolutely preferve them from changing, much
lefs make them fit for tranfportation to any dif-
tance ;. if the crop be fmall, a baker's oven may
lufHce, but beware of raifing the heat above i8o
degrees of Farenheifs thermometer in the place
where the roots are put, which fhould be over the
oven J but for larger crops kilns, fimilar to malt-
kilns are neceflary j take care to make them
roomy, keep an equal and moderate heat, and by
all means prevent any the lead accefs of fmoke
to the roots ^ for which reafon I would advile
large ovens, fuch as the bifcuit bakers in Uolland-
ufe, as preferrable to every other method j. a build-
ing may be lb contrived as to contain 13 ovens,
viz. four on each fide, three at one end, and two
at the end where the door is, with one general
brick floor over all ; one or two windows may be
fo contrived as to give accefs to a fuiiicient light i
let us fuppofe the oven ten feet long, by eight
wide, and allow two feet for each partition, this
will make an oblong apartment of tbrty-two feet
by thirty-two in the clear below, and on the up-
per floor fifty-two, by forty-two, room enough for
any crop ; provide good brick funnels to your
chimnies, and there can be no Hanger of fire, th&
reft of the building may be of timber j in this
procefs Madder will loofe fivefixths of its weight.
When the roots are fufficiently dried, they mufl;
be pounded in wooden mortars \ for this pwrpofe
a mill
( 1^3 ) .
a mill conftru^led exadlly like the old fafhioned
rice mills is very proper, only varying in the fhape
of the lower end of the piftil, or beetle ; for in the
rice mills their lower end is in form of an inverted
cone ; but here the lower end ought not only to
terminate in a fquare, but the but-end ought to be
cut into fmall Iquares, fo as to render the peftie
toothed ; for this reafon alfo the mortar ought to
be of a different form frorti the rice mortar, which
laft is likewfe an inverted cone, or fliaped like the
fide of the top of a funnel; v/hereas this Otight to
be in form of a hollow globe, which has a neck
iike a decanter or bottle, in which neck the peflle
ought nearly to fit. To empty the mortars and
fupply them with freili roots, is a neccffary bccu-
^pation during the pounding. The roots ought to
be cleared of their outer bark.'
It will then be fit for packing into cafks 'and
exporting. - .. - ^ . .
I remember to havs heard it faid in Holland^
that poor people, in ordei^ not to be obliged to fell
'their fmall crops tothe manufafturer, at his own
price, preferve the roots from fermentation, by
burying them between layers of earth in the
ground, and that by this means it may be pre-
lerved for any term of time, without perceptible
akeratiorj. .' -*';' ' ■ ; -
X LV. Co fee being an article to ^all appearaince
nt to be raifed in the fouthern parts of the penin-
fula, and fomc of the iQands, i fhall give it a place
here. This is an obje6t worth our notice, as its
confumption is great already, and fliU increafmg ;
there isittle or none prod treed in the Englijh Weft-
India idandst in comparifon of that v/hich the
JpMtch and French colonies produce..
X 2 : Its
( i64 )
Its culture throughout all the fettlements where
k is raifed, is now by the young (hoots obtained
from the larger trees ; but originally it was intro-
duced by feed, which being foaked for about
twenty.four hours, is then planted in tubs, pots,
or beds, at about three inches diftance, covered
lightly with earth, and carelijlly watered when no
rain happens. Ufually in about 14 days time
the plant appears j when the young plants have
attained the height of eight or ten inches, a rainy
day is watched to tranfplant them into a walk,
as it is there called, which anfwers to our orchards j
the ground is here carefully cleared of all manner
of roots and plants, and turned up at leaft a fpit
deep. About twelve feet is the diftance which
ought to be left between every two plants.
The growth of coffee is quick, provided the
ground be kept clean, but perhaps no plant is
fooner hurt than this by too luxuriant a growth of
weeds or plants, round or near it. The fecond
year Eddos i" , or Taniers^ or even patatoes, may
be planted among them, which will be a means
of raifing provifions by the fame lahpur, that is nc-
ceffary to keep the ground clean. ''
This plant bears fruit fufficient to defray the
yearly expences at the end of the third year j its
produce will then increafe until the icventh year,
and after this it will continue to bear in a degree
nearly equal, until about the fortieth year pf'^it^
age, when it begins to decay.
If any of the young plants fnould fail, they
ought immediately to be replaced by others.
In the Dutch colonies, when a coffee jvalk de-
t EJdo or TaTrier is a fpecies of efculent Arum, well
known in Eaji Florida^ and 'is good food for negroes.
,£^y^, they root the trees out, and let the.gronpd
lav Tallow for ten years, or upwards, during which
t^ie it affords pafture for cattle, and afterwards
it )s turned into a cocoa walk, or cotton plantation.
The ordinary height of this tree is from twelve
to fixteen feet ; in the Dutch colonies they are
lopped, to reduce them to a kind of Efpdiers, for
the eafier gathering of the fruit. _ ^
When the coixee has attained to ripenels, it is
carried to drying fheds, which are conftruded ip
the Dutch colonies on the following plan :
■ The Area of the ground generally applied to
this ufe is fevuaty feet by thirty ; a brick tounda-
.tion of four, hvc or fix feet high, is firft laid to
raife the building from the ground -, on this the
[building is placed of timber, being of two ftories ;
the upper floor is about twelve feet above the
lower J in each fide of the building are from
twelve to fixteen large windows likewife two at
each end, on each fide of large doors, all this is
necefiary to give a free accefs to the air, to pre-
vent the coffee from heating or fliooting. la the
lower part of the building a kind of drawers, ot
about fix feet fquare are fo contrived as to be
drawn without fide the building, where they reft
on wooden rollers or blocks, thefe drawers re-
.ceive the coffee after the drying floor, and in fine
weather are drawn out, but pufhed back the mo-
ment it begins to rain -, by this contrivance a large
quantity i§, as it were, inilantly Ihelte red from ru-
in J no other invention cafi be fo expeditious.
The building muft be furniflied with two pieces
of fquare timber, of the length of twenty-five or
thirty feet, and about eighteen, or twenty -four
inches thick, mgde of hard wood j in thefe a row
of
C ise ) I
of mortars is funk, to beat the coffee in, peftles oi
beatles for the fame, fanning mills to clean thf
coffee, fhovels tor turning it often while it lie^
on the upper floor; a competent number of baf
i^ets of different fizes, and a pair of fcales with
/Nveights. Before this bijilding there are eeneraliv
one or two platforms, from forty to fifty feet
iquare, called drying floors, intended to take all
benefit of the fine drying weather during the cof-
fee harveft. Adjoining to the building is general-
ly a Imal er one, containing a cooper's fliop and
a mill, called a breaking mill, through which the
new gathered cofl^ce pafl^es, to derive the grain
of Its pulp, or red outer fldn ; after coming from
this mill It IS foaked during one night in water,
and next day fpred upon the drying floors, where
Jt remains till the air and wind have fufficiendy
dried It ; if rain fliould happen it is quickly o-/.
thered into heaps, and covered with fear cloth/
The coffee, being thus dried, is put into the
drawers, where it is left till thoroughly dry -
from hence it is carried into the loft (being nov/
only furrounded with a thin, femi-tranfparenthuflc
over each pair of feeds) where it is left till th€'
whole crop is gathered i the harvefl: laftincr oft^n
two months -, while it remains in the loft It mult
be daily turned, to prevent its heating, and in
good weather all the air pofTible m.ufl: be admitted j
after harveft it is again returned into the drawers '
and left there for three or four days, in order to
become totally dry, it is then pounded or beat in
the above mortars by hand, to deprive it of the
thin, inner huflc, which involves every pair of
feeds ; after this it is fanned, . and when fanned
the broken grains are feparated from the whole,
which
I ( 1^7 )
Ukh laft are put in bales, orcaflis, fortheni^r-
let, with all this feeming trouble a coffee walk is
ijafier attended than a fugar plantation, and is faid
|:o be full as profitable. .
; XLVI. Cacao is a plant which i make no
doubt would fucceed in fome ot the lands found
in the fouthern divifion oi Eajl-Florida, but as it
is tender, and requires a deal of attention iflial I
only hint at it, as an objed worth trying, and we
ought to do this ©ut of regard for our lives and
conftitutions ; chocalate being become fo com-
mon-an aliment, and the vilainous adulterations
of it in the northern colonies, make it an enemy
to the ftomach, whereas if good and genuine it
proves a very agreeable, nourilliing and balfamic
food. J ri
. XLVII. leu, a defpicable weed, and ot late
attempted to be made a dirty conduit, to lead a
ftream of oppreflions into thefe happy regions, one
of the greateft caufcs of the poverty, which feems
for fome years paft to have preyed on the vitals
of Britain, would not haye delerved my attention,
had it not fo univerfally become a necefTary ot
life ; and were not moft people fo infatuated as
more and more to eftablilb this vile article of
luxury in America ; our gold and filver for this
dirty return is fent to Europe, from whence, being,
joined by more from the mother-country, it finds
its way to the Chinefe, who, no doubt, find fport
in this inftance of fuperior wifdom of the Euro-
peans. Thefe confiderations, joined to the addi-.
tional evil of its being a monopoly of the worft
kind, and the frauds of mixing it with leaves of
other plants, ought to roufe us here, to introduce
the plant (which is of late become pretty com
mon
( tes' )
fnon'iri: Europe) 'mi^6 thefe provinces, wliere th^
^me climate' reigns as in CMftr^' and where
(no doubt) th^ fame foil is to^ be found ; bv this-
means we may trample iindfer -foot this- ybfefe
of oppreffion, which has fo long pi^elTed the mo-
ther country, and begins^ to^galJ us Vety fore ; and
will tht Europeans (according to a'ri unaccount^
able cuftom of dfefpifing all our weftern produce,
when compared to oriental ones) avoid drinking'
^7nencctn tea ? Be not ye fo infatuated, ye Tons St^
America, as not to drink of your' own grovvth '
Learn to fave your money at home ! I cannot
think this advice contrary to the i«tereft of £n^
tam, for whatever is beneficial to the coIonies^
will in the end be at leaft equally fo to- the mother
country.
^ In hopes of fome well rriirtded planter taking
tnis into confederation, i have thus hinted at it, and'
will write what lean, from hear-fay, of iK cul-
ture. Firft then let me caution the attempter
againft impofition ; be fure that you ga the feeds^
m good order, and in their Capfules, for the friend'
you employ may be deceived more in the plants'
than the feeds, there being a plant called by Z-m-
naus. Camellia, and by K^mpfer, Tfuhakki, 'fo ex-
actly hke to Tea in its leaves, as not to be diftin-
guilhed therefrom ; this has frequently been fold'
to the Europeans for TtTi, and is thus introduced^
into Europe, If the feed cannot be procured in
Europe^ not the real plant from a trufty friend^
apply to fome well-meaning Captain of an Eaft'
Jndiaman, no matter of what nation, he can get
the feed in China, and it may be brought to jlme--
nm, without any danger of decay, in a manner*
which I ihalJ hereafter mention for the preferva--
tion
tion of feeds iri general. After the tea feed is
procured fome may be fowri on the paflTage from
England here. Will any reader fay this is build-
ing caftles in the air t" It him remember, that fe-
Venty years ago rice v/ui. an uLler ftranger in Ame-
Hca, till fome fuch good captain, who had been
in the eaft made a prefent of fome feeds to a per-
•fon in Carolina, who planted it ; both theis men
«,re feemingly forgot, but how much more did
■they deferve ftatues, than many others, who have
•been in an unnatural manner, often for crimes,
idolized, and as it were eternized, by pompous
effigies, and lying monuments !
Even in their native country- the feeds are very
liable to mifcarriage, therefore they plan*- ten or
■twelve in each hole, in rows throughout tiie field ;
K(empf&r, who had the bcfl opportunity of infor-
mation, telk us, that the plants are left to grow
till feven or eight years before the leaves are ga-
thered ; but he Ihould have told us, whether this
was neceflary to the perfedion of the leaves, or on-
ly done on account of the quantity obtainable,
perhaps to ftrip them younger would deftroy the
plants : I think he alfo fays, that after ten years
the plant is cut down, and young ihoots fpring up,
or the plantation is entirely removed.
In the gathering, it is laid, much time is taken
i)p, each piirfon culling aot above two or three
pounds per day, it being done leaf by leaf; dur-
ing the time a meet is fpread ovei^the buih, in form
of a canopyj to prevent the leaves drying haftily,
in the fiin-lhine, which would exhale the flavour ;
it is faid alfo, that they have three crops, viz. in
the end of February^ this is the befl ; then in the
end of Manb, and beginning of JpiJ^ and the
Y laft
( I70 )
laft and worfl is in the end of April and beginning
of May ; what remains on the bufh till the end of
May is faid to be unfit for curing, and confequent-
\y for exporting ; the obfervation on tobacco is al-
io faid to hold good in regard to tea, i mean, that
the upper, middle, and lower leaves are different
in goodnefs, and confequently three different kinds.
The curing is done on iron plates, over a mode-
rate artificial fire, and the leaves are conftantly
rolled by the hand. I^euman thinks the dark co-
lour, and the rofe flavour of Bohea tea, to be arti-
ficial ; he feems to iay that Kampfer and Dr. Cun-
ningham (when they wrote that Bohea tea was the
firft gathering) meant it to be a crop of leaves col-
leded before the plant comes to maturity, which
is perhaps the cafe in the provinces of China that
are too far north, to bring it to perfedtion : He al-
fo mentions the procefs related by one Meijler, to
wit, that the leaves are put into a hot kettle, juft
emptied of boiling water, and that in this they are
kept clofe, till they are cold, afterwards committed
to the hot plates this produces Bohea tea •, lie adds,
that this at leaft is certain, that by a fimilar procefs
good Bohea tea may be made among ourfelves ; a
Ipecimen of which he himfelf exhibited to a nume-
rous audience. He further fays, fome dealers in
tea, in England are not ignorant that certain Euro-
pean leaves, particularly thofe of the Dog Roje, and
Cherry tree may be fo coloured as to pafs for good
Bohea. The leaves of the red whortle, or cranberry,
and rofe bufli feem now to be molt in efleem among
thele fophifticating gentlemen.
The above author relates,, that the Chinefe are ex-
tremely curious in every branch of this manufac-
ture, diey gather the leaves with thin gloves, and
the-
■ ( lyi ) ^
the workmen employed in cutting it are reftrained
for a fortnight before from flatulent food, or
whatever elfe may communicate an ill flavour.
There is a later writer on this fubjed:, i think
Dr. /. C. Leifom, who is perhaps better informed,
but i have not been able to confult him : be all
this as it may, let us introduce the plant, and we
will difcover its culture and curation.
XLVill. Such numbers of Lauri being found
indigenous in America^ it may not be amils to hint
at the Pimento, or Jamaica pepper, as very proper
to be introduced into the fouthern parts of Eajl-
Florida, where, i make no doubt, it will prove a
profitable article.
XLIX. Mangroves and Salfola : Pot, Pearl
and Barilla ajhes, can nowhere be made to more
profit than in Eaji-Florida -, the feveral genera of
treei known by the name oi Mangroves, arc in fo
great an abundance, and fo replete with falts, that
they will undoubtedly yield a much greater propor-
tion than any wood yet ufed for that purpofe ; i
have made feveral very good famples on the coafl: ;
thefe trees have never yet been properly claflfed, i
intend to do it in the courfe of this work : the Kali
for Barilla is perhaps nowhere fo abundant as in
that province.
L. Bees are in great numbers in the eaftern pro-
vince, but found their way as far weftward as Pen-
facola only about the year 1772, they not being
original natives of America, but ali of this clals
which are found wild, have iprung from fwarms
deferted from Apiaries in- the fettled pravinces ;
there are none wild about t\it MiJJiJfippi ye6, but a
few years- will certainly bring them thither ; it is
evident from this relapfe ot the bees in a wild ftate,
X Y z anci
( m )
and their prodigious thriving, that honey and wax
may be made very confiderable articles.
LI. Ginger will certainly be found profitable if
introduced into the fouthern parts oi Eajl- Florida.
No doubt many of my readers begin to think, i
have fwelled this account beyond all bounds ; i beg
pardon for intruding on their patience, if i have
done it, but the inquiring philofopher will, i fup-
pofe, find that confidering the variety of climates
and foils, i might have gone on, and reafonably
enumerated a number of others V my earneft hopes
are thai: thefe looie hints may prove beneficial to a
continent, which has fo great a fhare in my war-
meif wifhes. . . ,
, I have every where avoided defcribing expenfivq
Ways of culture, fuch are too much obtruded on
gentlemen who begin the noble fcience of agri-
culture ; men are difcouraged by following fuch
precepts; in thofe hints which are new I fpeak
from a degree of experimental oblervation, iri
others i have chofen fuch methods as are in ule
and leaft expenfi ve, i have fhunhed ' a mere
iheoretical T\diXr2Li\vQ, becaufe i utterly hate it : un-
praftiled methods often appear plaufible, even
■when they will produce effcds diametrically oppo-
fite to what were intended.
It is true, that the pine barrens (fo called) will
in all appearance not be foon wanted, el'pecially
in Wejl-Florida -, but i think that for thole, who
are not poffefied of hammock land, a hint for the
improvement of thefe pine lands may not be amifs ;
we lee a furprizing vegetation effeded on fome of
them: complaints of barrennefs may Ibmetimes
be removed by meerely adapting the foil to its
proper ufe ; a man who has a good piece of river
, . land
^^ ( 173 )
land, bordering immediately On thefe barrent,
without any intermidiate oak or hammock foil in
Georgia, Carolina and Eaji-Florida, thinks himfelf
almoft always deprived of means to raife Matze^
and will think his itaple land of lefs value on that
account: let fuch a perfon well examine his pine
land, perhaps the clay or marl lays at the fame
depth below the furface, in that cafe, by mixing
the foils, you may improve them fo as to be fit
for any purpofe. None ot thefe lands are fo ab-
folutely barren but they will produce fweet pota-
toes, or pumpkins ; i have feen yams come td
good pcrfedlion in Georgia and Eaji- Florida in
fuch lands ; in PFefi-Florida i faw them pretty
forward in the navy garden of Penjacola, which is
(Comparatively a m^-er beach. Peach orcliards will do
here as well as in the richefl foils •, the word kind
of this land will produce rye to advantage, even
twice in one year ; the fejamen, or oily grain, a
profitable article if well attended to, will grow
kindly in them, and they produce crop grais (a
good p^fture) in abundance, by mertiy turning
them up often : for thefe reafons then a man
ought neyer to be too precipitate in prgnouncing
a piece of ground ahfolutely barren ; wc have iii
thefe provinces no undrainable boggs, no moun?-
tains, and very few ftones to deal with.
The manner in which cattle are now kept in
the fouthern colonies is unprofitable •, twelve or
fixteen cattle might be with a little attention madp
to yield more profit in a dairy, than flocks of three
01400 do now, with all the labour and time at pre-
fent beftowed on them ; the pradlicc of letting
calves fuck fo long as they now do, tS contrary to
the practice of all ages and countries, except
among
( 174 ) ^"^^m
among the Spaniards ; who keep large flocks for
the fake of their hides and tallow only ; and as in
the fouthern colonies the people fee m* more and
more to negle6t keeping a {qw cows at home for
the dairy, and hides and tallow cannot be made
large articles in trade, by means of fmall flocks of
five hundred or Cix hundred only, i can hardly fee
the intent of keeping fuch Hocks of cattle, except
for exportation alive, as the flocks of horfes are
kept ; for in the article of beef, cattle can hardly
yield profit where the Carolinian or Georgian me-
thod of killing at two, three, and four years old ob-
tains, which is the caufeof the badnefs of their beef.
Hogs are fo profitable an article, and fo ealily
made fpontaneous, that it is a matter of the great-
eft furprife to me that no more are raifed in /'/m-
da ; efpecially as mafl is very various, and in great
abundance.
The bounteous hand of nature has here
given us an animal, which, by experience,
we know may eafily be domeflicated, whofe fine
wooil might yield good profit, and whofe flefh is
equal at leaft to our beef, and yields as much tal-
low ; i mean the buffaloe : if inflead of wantonly
deflroying this excellent beafl, (for the fake of
perhaps his tongue only) we were to endeavour its
domiciliation, cither by a pure Ui*eed, or by raif-
ing a fpurious one with him and our common
cattle, i think we would find our aCv':ount in it.
The Moofe, or American Elk, found in the
higher latitudes on the river, naturally leads a hfe
fo nearly approaching to a flate of domeflication,
that i am often furprized he has never yet been
attempted to be incorporated among the clafs of
ufeful tame animals on this continent. Thefe and
the
the like hints i think deferve attention, and i Hope
they may be of ufe. In a country where horfes
and cattle are in fuch abundance, and confequent-
Jy cheap, and where human labour is fo dear, more
improvements in machinery ought to be introduce
ed : It has amazed me often to fee people io blindly
mad as to ruin themfelves, by obftinately perfift-
ing in building faw-mills in improper places,
which iias been here too often the cafe. The
MiJJiffippi indeed affords the means for mills at a
fmall expence, but they are only of temporary
ufe. In fuch a timber country as the FloridaSy
introduce the Dutch windmills, it is eafily done ;
i have frequently heard, that they are unfit for
this climate, but in my ftridteft inquiry not one
realbn appears againft them, but that people by
infatuation will run on a fand, where fo many be-
fore them have fuffered ruin by making dams in
improper places.
As much as poffible difufe the hand hoe, par-
ticularly at turning up, and otherwife preparing
the ground for feed ; introduce the plough ; the
neweft lands may be plouged, and the hand hoe
is only neceifary to affill a little round the edges
of flumps, &c. introduce likewife the horfe hoe
with the Dutch and Suffolk foot ploughs, to do the
laborious work of the hoe in hilling corn up ; in
well improved grounds for rice ufe the driii
plough, efpecially in countries where an ox of
four years old may be had for forty fhiUings, and
a ferviceable horfe for ff^nr pounds ♦, all thefe
would fave great funis, and render it lefs necefTa-
ry for the planter to depend on the labour of ne-
groes.
In lieu of the aukward tool made ufe of to cut
grain.
grain, i itie^ri the fide, i would advife the iiitro-
fclu6fciori of the fhort fey the and hook, called in
Ne'w-2''ork government fegi and mat book j and in
cde .of thin crops the fcythe and cradle : by means
ttf thefe; expedition and neatnels will become com-
mon, whereas now the crop ftands fometimes on
the field till" it it damaged, unlcfs a great number
0£ Haves can be eniployed.
Threfhing is performed in the mod aukward
inanncj: imaginable, in the Soathern colonies j to
many the common flail is entirely unknown, and
Jong pdles^ br a crooked cudgel made ufe of, and
•where the flail is ufed it is ill managed ; lor the
laige crops Of rice, &c, i -vould recommend a
machine which j remember to have feen ufed iri
Holland^ as long as my merhory tan ferve, and yet
ftrange to tell, even in England the pedple were
breaking their heads for the invention of a threfli-
ing machine no longer than four years ago j when
the lande machine had been known, and common -
J ufed in New-Tork and Pennfylvdnia^ near fifty
years : it confifts of a woo Jen cone, whofe bafe is
about two feet, or two and and a half foot diame-
ter, and whole length is from nine to twelve fecti
it fliould be made of very hard wood, its furfacd
is regularly fluted, t^ooc'hed, ribbed or indented *
the nbs are about fifteen in number^ with as ma-
ny grooves alternately between them, of about
three inches thicRnefs and depth ; the fmallend of
tnis kind ot ro!;er is furniihed with a ftrong ragged
cye-boJt and ring, and iron hoops to prevent itg
cracking, or the bolts drawing, this ring Ihould
be about fix inches diameter in the clear, and be
fixed on a poll in the middle of the floor, which
for tv/dve or tourteen inciies up ought to be caled
v/it.h
( '79 )
with iron, to prevent the ring from cutting it off
by the continual friftion : the llieaves being laid
circularly round this poft, the roller is by one or
two horfes or oxen drawn round in a conftant
circular procefs, one man attending to turn up
the draw continually ; this is more expeditious
and cleanly than the trampling of it out with
horfes and cattle, becaufe the thing is fo contrived
as to let the cattle walk without all, and it makes
incomparably more difpatch than the flail can
even with many hands. ' ^
In the common way of fhellihg maize there is
.alfo great lofs of time. A man can hardly Ihell
fix bumels per day, whereas with the flail he will
fliell twenty in an hour, and the fanning mill will
foon clean it •, many more improvements will in
time be wanting, but the above are now abfolute-
ly necefTary.
Thus far i have given a detail of the agricul-
ture pradifed, or practicable in thofe climates ;
during the courfe of my colleding materials for
this narrative, i have fometimes been beyond all
mealure vexed, and at others i have been obliged
to laugh at the filly notions, whereby England is
deceived in her ideas of America^ occafioned by
fome foolifli writers, who have raifed fome abfurd
hypothefis in their own brain, from v/hence they
.deduce as crooked theories as ever entered the
thoughts of mankind ; thus writing without ex-
perience, they lead a partel of blind copiers, as it
were, in a flrring, as if intended on purpofe to
deceive mankind ; and what is more itrange,
fome people fo implicitly believe thefe ingenious
waiters, that i have feen them after coming here
obfliinately follow the precepts of thefe guides,
Z though
( i8o )
though in dired oppofition to what they lee ta
be the praflice of* their neighbours, who have
been taught by experience. How fillily has one
vented an opinion, that by clearing the woods of
North-America^ we would ruin our temperate co-
lonies, and turn them into cold uninhabitable
defarts, thereby beflov/ing the Glimat;es of New-
England, on Carolina •, + with more fuch fancied
evils, notwithftanding that even when he wrote,
Canada (by the French only deemed fit for a fur-
fadory) began by Englijlo induftry to becom»2
a grain country ; fo that he might have known
better, and now that fame country even exports
wheat •, pray v/hat is tlie reafon of this but that
the clearing the land caufes the fnow to remove
fooner than it formerly did ? Under the head,
of fugar in- this work fee more of this.
Jufl fuch nonfenfe he vends, when he attri-
butes the want of wood in the plains of the
north weilern parts of America to barrennefs,
when experience has taught every one that they
are fertile i how well does it confirm this genius's
opinion when we fee without deception, that the
nearer we approach thofe plains to the weft, the
more temperate is the climate ! At llicnois, in la-
titude 40, fnow feldom lays three days, and cattle .
are out all winter •, in the Nadoueffinh country,
latitude 45 and 46, above two thoufand miles
from the Atlantic, fnow rarely exceeds three
inches in depth, and the wild rice is found fpon-
taneous in amazing trads. Nor is his argument
of the cold being more felt in a field than in a
wood of any force ; let him remem.ber that fnow
lies
t Prefent State o( Great-Bntain and America. 8vo 1767.
C i8i ;
lies a mon'thj or even fix weeks longer in a wood
than in a field. This man dares to tell us " we
" talk from experience." So it feems, when he
fays the badnefs of pafturage in the fouthern co-
lonies renders it impradicable to maintain ftocks
of cattle : was it my bufmefs i might enumerate
more fuch fhining authors ; f but as it could
ferve no good purpofe i omit it, and only beg
leave to hint that luch blind guides ought not to
be too implicitly foUov/cd.
In the above account i have inferted fome ar-
ticles which might poflibly have come more pro-
perly under the head of manufaduring, fuch as
indigo, pitch, tar, ttirptntine, &c. and even r/t^,
but tiieir near conneclion with tillage has made
me infert them there^ rather than in the following
part of this' work, where i have dedicated fome
pages to hints concerning manufadures.
Reducing the rough timber into boards is now
the moft common branch of bufmefs in the fouth-
ern colonies, that comes under the name of ma-
nufaftures : a pair of negro fawycrs are taxed to
cut an hundred feet per diem, this the induf-
trious ones often perform by two o'clock, or
fooner, they are then fuffered to cut lumber for
their own ufe the reft of the day, or do any other
bufmefs, for which their mailers pay them ; thefe
hundred feet per diem, are fix hundred per week,
or thirty-one thoufand two hundred per annum,
which, allowing them to be only inch boards, and
to fell at fix {hillings fterling per hundred, is £. 93,
Z 2 12 s.
f There is one fo very cunning as .to have difcovered the
labour of our flaves here to be dearer than that of hired
people. Amazing wifdom ! See the Appendix to the In-
tST:Q&.QiGre(it'Britain, 8vo. 1760.
{ Ib-2 )
12 s. pt, annum, a noble benefit ! which in thicker
board, fcanthng, and ranging timber is much
greater ■ tnc owner of fuch a pair of flaves lets
tiiem out at £. 60 per annum -, from hence we may
gamer how neceflary the introdudion of faw milk
IS to lower the price of this article.
Hogfliead flaves of white oak are made by
what are called gangs of people ; a Have makini
gang confifts of five perfons, a feller of the tim^
ber, who cuts down the trees,- two to crofs-cut
•them in proper lengths, a river or fpiitter, who
• nvc^ them with the fro, and the fifth is employed
in Ihavingthem; this gang makes five hundred
li^ves each day, which are fuppofed to be worth
30/ }^ 6 /.per dkm for each man.
Shingles of cyprefs and white cedar, which are
made nearly in the manner of flaves, are fold at
aoGut 10/ per thoufand, and one gang may very
well make three or four thoufand per day.
But the grand manufafture to be made of tim-
ber here, is SHIPPING, for this purpofe no
country afiords more or better wood ; live oak,
cedar, cyprefs, yellow pine, are adapted by na-
ture to this. O ! how jufl is every Englijhman\
realon for curfing the late peace-makers, when he
refleas upon the fatal miflake of leaving the ifle
of New-Orleans in the hands of the Fre'nch and
conlcquently of the Spariiards ! and when he fees
them building fuch fine frigates as they did lafl
year on that ifiand ; to add to the misfortune they
leave their own timber and cut it off of the Englijh
land, about the lakes, for prefent ufe ; might not
England herfelf infinitely rather build fnips of
war, and fell them to her enemies, and fo make
profits of them, than to be obliged to behold this
with
( 183 )
with fuplnenefs ? When we recollcft the amazing
diftance into the heart of the country to which the
MiffilJippi and iis branches givts us accefs, and
where we may build fhips of two hundred tons at
leaft ; when we lee the iron mines difperfed up
and down the country ; when we recolledl the pof-
fibihty of producing the mofl immenfe quantities
of hemp and flax ; when we behold the more than-
rapid increafe of mankind there •, and finally v/heri
we furvey the harbours, Charlotte^ lampe. Si. Jo-
feph, Penfacola^ all proper for the admiflion of
fhips of rank, befides others we know no^ y-et 5
what a field is open here ! what a profpecTt^'ot pow-
er and grandeur feems »to be already wticoming
us ! no comnry had ever fuch inexhauftible re-
fources ; no empire had ever half fo many advan-
tages combining in its behalf: methinks i fee al-
ready t\iQ Ar/ierican fleets inhabiting the ocean, like
cities in vicinity !
The manufadory of iron will undoubtedly be
very great here ; every part of the weftern pro-
vince at leaft abounds wiih it ; no doubt other mi-
nerals are hidden in the bowels of the earth, but
except lead and antimony they are not yet found.
The article of Potcfies of various kinds have
been mentioned under the head of Ma'ngr&vcs and
Salfola ; i fhall only repeat here that no country
can make thefe commodities equal to Eaji Florida -,
that province can undtrfell and fupply all others
of the earth, v^hen we confider that Erigla7td takes
jC. 50,000 fterling worth out of North America
alone, where people can not make it either fogcod
or fo cheap, it is fpur enougU to encourage Ibme
pcrfon to begin this m.anufaclory in that countr)%
but
C 184 )
but be aware of doing it in a manner clear of Stt^
vens\ and other expenfive fchemes.
Deer/kins though none are manufadured here,
yet, being a great ftaple commodity already, they,
deferve a place here, was it but to remind my rea-'
der that the Bloridas are watered by all the rivers
■ by which peltry is like to come in future, and that
by a little attention and pains taken with that trade,
thefe two provinces, particularly the weilern one,
•may lead it down their own channel to that de-
gree, that every individual fkin (got to the weft-
ward of the heads of the Oz^^Z'<3c^^, and fo up to
the wftftern branches of the MiJjiJJippi, and to the
fouthward of Ohio) mull, as they certainly ere
long will, center in the gulph of Mexico.
When we confider the vaft increafe of ftocks
'here, and the eafe of maintaining a flock of a
thoufand or fifteen hundred cattle, and four or
five hundred horfes, and the very great difficulty
attendin:^ the northern colonifis in keeping up a
•ftock even of no more than twenty or thirty head
of black cattle, it muft be evident, that tanning
t)f leather will be a great bulinefs here % even al-
lowing the number oi American 'mh.?ih\\.2^\Ms, to be
no more than three millions (which number the
Jate fyftematic writers feem determined to confine
us to) and allowing two and an half millions of
thefe to wear about fix pair of Ihoes per annum,
and that in America about ten millicms of thefe
are annually made of American leather, which is
more than likely to be the cale j the town oi Lynn
alone exporting above three hundred thouland
per annum, there will then remain about five
millions to be fupphed from England^ even
this leaves a large field open, and if we are
induftrious
( i85 )
induftrious not only that gap will be flopped, but
we may export tanfied leather ; ,if England does
not want it, or will not take it, other countries
will i- cou^id^r ye. Flo'ridans what an extenfive ma^
nufadure oi Chamois leather your lazy neighbours
of Crtw/>^tfr^y carry on already.
- "When we confider that the northern inhabi-
tants clothe at leaft feven eights of themlelves
with cloth, that cofts them hardly any thing, but
their induifry, when we pondtrr well the indefati-
gable pains taken by the Jcadians, fettled on the
M'JfiJjippi., to array themfclves in every reipcdt
with the produce of their own fields, and the work
of their own hands, when we iee the immenfe
quantity and variety of raw materials afforded by
this country, fuch as wool, cotton, filk, &c. here-*
tofore enumerated, muit we not be inlpired ''by
the genius of frugality, to make ufe of thele blef-
fings of the bounteous hand of nature, and to
imitate thefe indullrious people, whom Providence
already fuffercd to be driven out of the land of
their fore-fathers by the iron rod of arbitrary
Mars, and caufed to fettle in our neighbourhood ?
If we learn by times to know, that we enjoy all
thele bleflings, we fhall have but little ufe for
importing any thing bui money.
Pork and beef will fliortly be worth attending
to on the Mijj'ijfi-ppi, as is evident from the quan-
tities of faked wild beef, already exported by the
Spaniards to the HavannaJ:>.
An article little known, perhaps not thought of,
next claims our attention, i mean the extenfive
pfheries in the power of thefe colonies, with which
they now fupinely, not to fay ftupidly, allow the
Spaniards to run away. The whole of the weft
coaft
( 186% )
coaft of Eaft Florida, is covered wi h finiermens
huts and flakes -, diefe are built by the Spamjh
filhermen from the Havannah, who come annu^
ally to make one or two filhing voyages on this
^oaft, to the numbc r of about thirty fail, and one
or two vifit Rio d'Jis, and other places on the eaft
coad of the penninfula, they arrive about the lat-
ter end of Auguji, and continue coming and go-
ing till the end of March ; then- firft care is to pre-
pare their nets, and to build a hut, or relit tl'.e'old
one J then they new furnifh their flakes or ftages
with new firings of fllk grals to the wooden hooks
by which the fiai is to be hung up to dry ; their
nets and other apparatus of lines, &c. are all made
of filk grafs like wife; and as they filh upon Ihares,
each man furnifhes his piece of net, number of
lines, fliare of fait, and quota of provifions lor the
voyage, or if not able to purchale all thefe (which
is feldom the cafe) the proportion of fuch perfon
is furnifned by the owner or captain, who deduces
their value from his fliare, when he receives the di-
vidend of the neat proceeds of the cargo ; the dif-
ti'ibution of this dividend is geqerally'as follows :
the veflel draws one third, the patroon or mafl:er,
two (hares of the remaining two thircs, which is
divided into as many fliares as there are adven-
turers ; reckoning two boys for a man : their
charges are little more than the wear and tear of
the veiTel, the purchafe of fait from the King, and
the duties of entry for the fllL, which laft i thinly
is two and an half per cent, with thefe people a
profitable trade might be eflabliflied ; they have
often told me, that in cafe they could find Eng-
lijlmen on the coail, who would furnifn them with
fait, they would not purchafe any more than what
was
( i87 )
was abfolutely neceflary to cover their licence, for
thefe very men are obliged to go to Key Sal, to
gather the fait there, and bring it to the Havanna,
where they are obliged to deliver it into the King's
ware houies at three rials for a fanego, a mealure
containing fcarce two bufhels, and when they pre-
pare for the fi(hing voyages, they are not fuffered
to take any fait eifewhere but out of thefe ware-
houfes, where they are now conftrained, by their
mod gracious Sovereign, to pay one dollar and
an half, or twelve rials for the identical fait he
took from them for three j provifions and dry
goods might alfo be fold to them to advantage,
but it would be neceflary, that they were made
certain firft of finding fuch vefl^els on the coaft, for
without fuch a certaintjj, they would not venture
to come without fait, nor would they bring any
money ; the fame vcflel that carried fait and dry
goods might here drive an advantageous trade with
the parties of lower Creeks, who come to hunt in
the fame feafon, in this part of the peninfula, and
always get great quantities of fkin , flie might
likewife get a load of fifli, which would anfwer
well in the Wefi-Indies, as the fifh from hence al-
ways fetch a confiderably greater price in the
iflands, than the fifli from Newfoundland. The
principal fifh here, and of which the Spaniards
make up the bulk of their cargoes, is the reddrumy
called in Eaji Florida a bafs, and in JVefl Florida
carp ; xht French call xhtrnpoijon rouge-, this is in
thofe provinces a fine fifh, although in the nor-
thern colonies they arc generally poor. They al-
fo fait a quantity of fifh which they call Pampanos^
for which they get a price three times as high as
for other fifh. A fe w>/w, fome fea trout ^ and the
A a roe
foes of mullets and black drum make up the re-
mainder of the cargo •, feme oil from the liver of
nurjes dindjharks is aifo carried ; of the found of
ih^fea trout a glew is made by only drying them,
whicn is a perled and fine ichthyocolla. 1 he roes
of mullets and black drums are put into a pickle
for about a quarter of an hour, then taken out and
partially dried in the fun, then prefled between
two boards -, afterwards expofed upon a hurdle in
a fmali hut to the fmoak of the inner p. rt of the
ears of corn, which is properly the receptacle of the
feed, and called the cobs. Thefe roes the Spaniards
arc very fond of, and ufe them inflead of cavear.
From this account my reader may judge of the
worth of this fifliery. Thefe fifhermen make like-
wife no inconfiderable quantity oijhark oiU and it
is well known what number of turtle the Frovi-
dence people catch on the eaft coall.
The JVfynV^, or candle berry myrtlegrows in great
abundance on the fr^a-lhorc of both thefe provin-
ces i the wax produced by it is too well known to
need dcfcription ; it is manufadlured by throwing
the berries into a hot bath, to difcharge them of
their wax, which is fkimmed from of the top after
the water grows cold.
Travelling through the uninhabited part of
the woods, falling to the fhare of every perfon,
who arrives at prelent in Florida^ it cannot be
amifs to fay a few words about it : whether
you go by water or by land it is moft neceffary
to carry with you powder, lliot, and a fowling
piece •, provide yourfelf with rice, or fuch bread
as you like beft to ule ; a hunter is neceffary
and utenfils for dreffing provifions ; always before
night allow yourfelf at leaft one hour's time to pre-
pare file wood, for this muft be ufed in fummer
( i89 )
as well as winter to rarify the air round the camp ;
always lay with your feet towards the fire, and you
are out of danger of catching cold ; if you are in
a country where warring fayages refort, keep up a
large fire all night, and be fure to put fome hats
on poles near the fire, this will protect you from
their attempts, unlefs they are at war with ourfelves.
A bear fkin on the ground to proted you from its
dampnefs is very neceffary ; always choofe an ele-
vated fpot, and if you have horfes chufe a fituation
near a cane branch, or where the woods have been
lately burnt, this will effedlually prevent your
beads from llraying. As the diet is generally
roafted meat remember my former caution againft
fpits got out of a low ground ; fmall reeds are ex-
cellently adapted to this purpofe : a fmall hut co-
vered with thatch oipalmittos, or bark of trees, is
always preferable to the lumber-of a tent ; fuch an
one, fufficiently large for two'taen at lealt, is eafily
fet up in a quarter of an hour j if you are in a river
be fure of fattening your boat in a flill water or ed-
dy, and be cautious not to faften it with a wythe,
which is to0 common a pradlice with many ; this
precaution will prevent your boats going adrift by
means of a beaver's appetite. If you are where
the grafs is long, burn a fpace of ground before
you make your fire, this will fave your baggage,
which many have loft by negleding this ; if in a
part of the country where mufketoes are plenty,
have a clofe covering, called in this country zBere,
and made in form of a mufketo net, to put up over
your bed, fufpending it by two flakes ; and laftly
encamp not near any old trees, but as much as po&
fible flielter your camp againft the wind ; by care-
fully obferving thcfe hints, you will not find tra-
Aa 2 veiling
( igo )
travelling through the y^merican defarts fo iincom-
tortable a bufinefs as it may generally appear to
be; as for the dreadful flories told of wild hearts,
believe me they are vain, no animal is yet found in
the North American wildernefs ferocious enouah
to come withm fight of a man, if the wind wafts
tiie air of a human body towards the brute ; if it
does not, he will not venture nearer than in fight;
but mould you wound a bear, or the Araerkan
panther, fo as to difable him from flight, he will
prove dangerous, but remember, if you tread even
on a worm, he will turn up his tail at you, as it
were in his own defence.
I fliall now fay fomething about the mofl: ad-
yileable method to be taken by emigrants, who
intend to tranfplant themfelves into this part of
America, from the more northern regions ; firft
1 would obferve that if dellined for Eaji Florida,
It is^ abfolutely neceffary to carry at lead one
year's provifions in flour, maize, pork and beef ;
if to the eafl:ern part o^Wefi Florida, the fame ilep
IS to be taken ; but if to the Mijfiffipp, proviflons
barely for the voyage will be lufl^cient, they being
always to be had there in plenty, at or nearly at
the prices beforementioned ; if the perfon be able
1 would advife him to purchafe negroes in the nor-
thern provinces, and to carry a few more than he
intends for his own ufe, the profits on the fale of
four or five will nearly defray his expences ; car-
ry no white fervants, unlefs you have a mind to
colonize a large trad of land, ard this has never
yet turned to account ; i will fuppofc two in-
itancss of what in my opinion is the moil elegible
method of fettling people of different fituations in
life.
Let
( 191 )
Let one man be poflefied of two thoufand five
hundred Dollars in money, and we will lu^pofe
him living in Riode-JJland^OY in any other pare of
]^ew- England i or New-Tork^New-Jerfey, or Penn-
fylvania; and allow him to have a wife and four
children, with two houfe Oaves, in either of t.ieie
colonies; he may purchale eight good working
fiaves for twelve hundred dollars, out of his two
thoufand five hundred-, about four hundrc d col-
lars more will buy four young girls or boys, for
which he will, in I'lorida, find ready fale, with 80
per cent advance, but they ought not to be under
twelve or thirteen years old ; his next care is nov/
to get a vefTcl, we will fuppofe her 01 fixty tons
burthen, fuch a one as may generally be h;id
manned and vidualed, at two dollars and a half a
ton, per montii, from any of thefe provinces, the
planters provifions and implements fci himlelf
and family will coft about three hundred dojlars,
allowing him well provided with every necefiary
for eight weeks; thus we may fuppofe hini arrived
in the Mijjtfjlppi^ with fix hundred dollars left him
in money : here we Vv'ill leave him a while, to pay
a vifit to a poorer family, v^e will allow the ht. ad
of this to have as many cattle, horfes, hogs and
fuperfluous implements as may raife him tcur hun-
dred dollars, for a poorer man fhould net attempt
to go as a planter, he may as an artificer, ortradel-
man, we will alio allow him to have an equal ftiare
of matrimonial blefllngs with his richer neighbour
this man mufl lay out about fixty dollars in.pro-
vifions, and about twenty-five for plantation 'tools,
his paflfage money will amount to fifty dollars
more, we may fuppofe him pofiiefied of one good
able negro, befides his money which may be worth
. an
C 192 )
an hundred and fixty dollars; thus he may arrive
at the MifJllfipi and have ninety dollars clear
money after obtaining his land and ftock ; hereby
the way let all who intend going to this country
endeavour to arrive about the latter end oi Novem-
ber^ i-n order to clear fome land and build fome
place for fholter. White fervants will never turn
to account, there being fo many idlers already im-
ported on wrong plans, that you can carry none
with you who would not in three months time
.think It very hard to be obhged to call you maf-
ter, in a country where the moll dirty vagabond
you can hire at fix Dollars per month, would think
his honour touched by hearing any body call him
to you with lefs civility than, 5ir, your employer
vjould be glad to [peak to you.
I will now throw thrs m.atter into a clearer light,
h)' placing it m tables, in which the reader may
lee it at one view.
The firil: men being poflefTed of Dol. 2500
We will fuppofe him to prepare
himfflf for the journey in New-
York, where he purchafes 8
working flaves, at ^. 60 per
head, - - - £- 480
4 young do. for fale, at £. 40 160
Allowing his 14 flaves, includ-
ing his 2 houfe-flaves 2 lb. of
rice, and half a pound of pork
per diem, for 60 days paflage ;
this will amount to about three
tierces, containing 1 700 pound
of rice, which at 24 s, per Ct.
amounts to 20 8
660 8 I 2500
brought over, £, 660 8 C
2 barrels containing 420 lb. of
pork, £. 410 per barrel, 9
For his white family's ufe wc
will fay,
2 tierces of 360 lb. of bread,
at ly s. pf r Ct. 312
I barrel of 1 80 lb. of flour, at
22 s. per Ct. I 19 6
I barrel of choice beef, £. ^ 3
1 barrel of choice pork, 30 s. 2 10
50 lb. of hams, i s. per lb, 2 10
a firkin, 60 lb. of butter, i s.
per pound, 3
2 large fhoats, 10 s. a piece, i
2 fheep, 15 s. do. i 10
I dozen of geefe and turkies i 4
4 dozen of fmall poultry, 2 8
coffee, tea, and Ipices, 3
3 loaves, golb. ofiugar, i 10
25 lb. of mufcovado ditto, 16
15 bulhels of corn, to feed his
ftock, at 3s. per bufhel, 25
fmall expences, for greens, &c. 18 4
Total in N. Y. cur. amounts to 700 o o | 1750
remains, 750
we will fuppofe him to carry one half
puncheon of Jamaica fpirits, and one
half ditto of common rum. Dollars 50
and to lay out for half a pipe of good
Madeira, to ferve him for his firfl year's
ftock, - - - 100
150
^ There now remains as above Dollars 600
K ^^^ )
111 his pofiemon, at his arrival : of this he
muft pay for the charter of the vefTtJ, ■
300
c. , , * Remain Ds. 300
buppole his 4 young negroes fell at an ave-
r^igetor 150 Dollars each (which is not a
high price) this amounts'to , ^oo
Dolla
900
In the above account no mention is made of
furniture, becaufe a man poiTelled of fuch a fum of
money may naturally be fuppoled to be fuperflu-
oufly provided with that article, and by fejiino- a
part of this, he may fupply himlelf with others,
that h.ive a peculiar reference to thefe climates,
and are indeed not to be difpenfed with : axes',
faws, ipadfs, hoes and other implements of huf-
bandry p.Thaps n-celTary to the amount of fixty
Dollars, may be hkewiil- fuppofed to be purchafed
out of the lale of his %erfluous iurniture.
Since the writing of this part of the manufcript,
tlie new mode of parcelling lands out in Imall lots
anukjiing them at audion, was introduced into
the colonics. This fclieme, it is faid, was firft pro-
jected by Sir James m-tght, Baronet, Governor of
(aeorgia.
On what terms lands are to be had now fince
the ihuttjng up the land-office is yet impoffible to
telh but the undermentioned was the Itate of this
buxinefs before that event happened, with the fees
as they ftood regulated in South-Carolina, Georgia,
and Eajl-Flonda, In the weftern office I was ne-
ver converfant enough to know the real ftate of
this matter j but I have leen fome of Mr. Burn-
ford'^
" _ X. C 195 )
fard*s bills, for fiirveys calculated at 50 per cent.
higher ; for ^yhat reafon I know not, for fiirvey-
ing in ff^eji Florida is attended with lefs difficulty,
than in either of the others.
Petition, warrant, and precept, 11 7
To the furveyor general, and his de-
puty, each 2/3 per loo^eres ; the num-
ber of acres for the above-named fa-
mily would amount honejlly to 850
acres, which makes at 4/6 per hundred i 1 8 3
Suppofe that 1000 acres were granted
belides on purchafe, this would coll lof,
per hundred, - - 5
The above-mentioned expences of pe-
tition, warrant*iand precept on the laft
1000 acres is, - - n 7
Survey of 1000 acres, at 4/6 per 100 2 5
Suppofe the land 150 miles diftant
from the llirveyor's refidence, he being
allowed 6fy for every 20 miles out and
in, except for the firft 20 miles, this
being 130 miles, at 6fy per 20 miles
out, - . - 23 lOf
The fame 130 miles at 6fy per 20
miles home, - - 2 3 io{
Allow the furveyor 14 days to go and
come back, he has four men with him
to row in his boat, or carry his provi-
fions and inftruments, if by land thefe
fame two men ferve as chain-bear-
ers, and two as blazers, they are gene-
rally paid for at 2/6 per diem each, 7
Provifions for 5 men for 14 days are
Carried forward ^21 14. 2
Bb to
brought over, ^^21 14
to be had plentifully, and good, at one
ihiWingpe?' dJem, rum included, 3 10
Return of two precepts, plats and cer-
tificates by the deputy furveyor, 6/^
each, - - 13
Return of th€ two warrants, platts and
certificates by the furveyor general, to
the attorney-general, 6/9 each, 13
Tv^o fiats by the attorney-general, 6fy
each, - - - 13
Governors and Secretray's fees, about 8
Total Sterling ;f. ^^ 4 8
"Which £• 25 A- 8 Str. (in confidefa-
tion whereoi the planter is now in pof-
felTion of 1850 acres of land,) are at
the exchange of 4/"6 per Dollar - Dol. i ^^
Building a comfortable neat timber
houfe, out-houfes and negro hutts on
this land, will cofl about - - - 250
Maintenance of the planter and his
family for 4 months, during which
time all the above bufinefs may be done
and the houfe at leafl rendered habit-
able, the expence of travelling to Pen-
facola and back to MifTiITippi included 150
Dedu(fl thele ^^^
from 900
and we will leave him now in poffef-
fionofhis land, houfe, two negroes,
and cafh to the amount of - - 345
Suppofe the month of April now fet in, and his
negroes
( ^97 )
neproes in thefe 4 months to have cleared him 20
acres qfland, of which he plants 10 wkh Maize,
peafe, &c. 3 with rice, and 7 with indigo^ from
this he may reafonably expedt at the moft moderate
calculation on the Mifliirippi lands, about 400
buihels of M.-.ize, and 300 of peafe, with per-
haps about 500 pumkins, about 150 bufhels of
rough rice * and 400 lb- of indigo by the begin-
ning of November; we will fuppoie that in this
fame interval he has purchafed
Six milch cows at 12 Dollars each 72
Six hogs - 4 - - 24
A ftock of poultry - - - 10
A horfe - - - - ^ 3^
Having lived at home betv/een April
and November, v/e may reafonably
fuppofe thefe 7 months to have been
lefs expence to him, and to have coit
for maintenance no more than the
firft mentioned 4 months or - 150
Expences of building his indigo vats 40
A boat for plantation ufe, - - 15
341 Dol
V{e muft fuppofe him to have con-
verted one of his houfe negroes into a
field {lave, which will make his work-
ing hands 9 in all; by no means too
fmall a number to clear and cultivate
20 acres for the firll year
We
* It is neceflary to obferve here what i forgot before, thi*
is that about thr?e pe<:k5 pf rice are fown on an acre.
C 198 ;
We have now Indeed feen him expend
nearly all his money, but the year is
come round and he has now 400 bufhels
of corn, 200 of which together with
the pumpkins he muft referve to feed
his negroes and flock with during the
next year : thus remains 200 b'ufliels of
maize for fale at 2 ryalls per bulhell as
before faid is - _
Of 300 bulliels ofpeafe (150 referved
for his ufe) remain 150 for fale at 25
ryalls alfo - _ - 02
1 50 bulhels of rough will make 3 5oolb.
of clean'd rice, which his negroes manu-
fadure during the firft winter by hand ;
this is about 1 7 barrels of the Miflif-
fippi meafure, of which 2 being kept
for his own ufe, there will remain 15
barrels for fale which at 2i:Dol. per
barrel is - , _ '
50 Dol,
371
4oolb. of indigo at the price it bore in
November and December ^772, is - 400
Thus we may fuppofe for this firft
year his live flock in a thriving con-,-
dition, his flores full of provifions.
and his cafh amount to - 520 DoL
He may at prefent rcafonably be thought to
increafe his working negroes to 10, and to add
10 more acres to his cleared ground, befides im-
proving lafl years clearing. I will now leave this
man and give fome advice to his poorer neigh-
bour— I appeal to every man who will be candid
sfld is really acquainted with the country I fpeak
( ^99 )
of, whether my calculations are juft or not, and
whether my ballance of the firft years work is not
exceedingly moderate: in regard to a buck of
jockey, who expe£ling to find this new country
on his arrival full of Vaux-halls, Ranelaghs, and
J^ew Markets; who juft comes to fcamper over
It, and when he finds his expedations failing
takes a look at the woods, and at the moderate
life of the new planter, then turns up his nofe,
takes a pet and goes off, pufljng of a "d — n the
the country," he can at beft pretepd that he was
there in a dream-, he is no judge, he has no bufi-
nefs with ferious books on the prefent fubjeit, at
Jeaft i write not for him.
The poorer planter we have before allowed "tq
poflefs - - - 4PoE).
The provifions neceflary for his voyage
for his negro and all included, to be bought
at New York as before,
2 tierces of bread /. 3 12
I barrel of beef 250
I barrel of pork, 4 10 o
25 lb. of ham, 150
1 firkin of butter, 300
4 fmall fhoats, 200
2 dozen fmall poultry, 280
25 lb. mufcovado fugar, o 15 o
10 bulhels of maize, X 10 o
coffee, tea, and other fmall
expences, rum included, 360
remains 340
his paffage money, 2-50
24 o 2 equal to 60 D,
remains 340
remains 290 1),
C 200 )
brought over, 290 D.
I will fuppofe the plantation tools
he wants may amount to 25
remains 265 D.
The expences attending a furvey of
400 acres of land (150 miles from the
Purveyors houfe,) the quantity this
tcLmWy was formerly intitled to, are as
follows, vh.
Petition warrant and precept as be-
fore - - - ^-117 Str.
Surveying 400 acres at 4/6 1 8
Milage 2 3 la
Allow thefurveyor 12 days with
four men, but at the fame time
the planter may be fuppofed to
have a fon, beingan able lad, who
together with the negro make
out three, thus remains only one
to pay 2/6 per diem, i i o O
Provifions for 5 men 12 days rum
included, if per diem, - 30a
Return of precept warrant, plat
certificate and fiat - - 130
Governors and fecretarys fees,^ 300
£.iz 3 8Str.
Equal to 52 Dollars,
Himfelf, his fon, and negro eployed
between November and April, in
building a comfortable houfe of fquare
cyprefs timber, dove tailed, confiding
of two rooms and a loft, together
with a corn-houic, and in clearing 8
Carried forward 52-265 D,
( 201 )
brought over 52—265 D>
acres of land, during which interval
the maintenance of his family may be
fuppofed to coft - - 80 D.
Allow that he b\iys in the fame inter-
val a cow, - - 12 D.
2 fows, 4 D. - 8 D.
a flock of poultry, - 6 D.
i 1
158 D.
A horfe 15 D.
A canoe we may fuppofe
built by himfelf, iron
work excepted, - - 2D.'
Thus we fee him in poffefTion of 400 175 H^
acres of land, a fmall plantation flock, ■
and 9^'^'
Suppofe his clear land planted in the (in cafh.
following proportion, viz.
5 acres with maize, peafe and pumpkins,
1 acre of potatoes,
2 acres ot indigo.
It may reafonable be fuppofed to yield
200 bufhels of corn,
150 do. of peafe,
300 pumpkins, ""
100 lb of indigo.
During fummer, his fon and negro at-
tending the land, he may be ufefully
employed in fquaring timber, or in
fome- handicraft he underflands, this
together with the increafe of his little '
flock, and about 60 dollars well laid
put, we may rcafonably think will
Carried forvy'ard 90 D.
maintaia
( 202 )
brought over 90 D.
maintain his family from April till
November - - - 60 Di
Thus the remainder of his cafh now
amounts to - - I0D.
We muft allow himfelf to have made
his fmall indigo vats,
He has now for fale loolb of indigo looD. -
J 20 bufhelsofcorn 2s. 30 D.
loodopeafe, 2s. 25 D.
155D.
Thus he may very juftly at a moderate
computation be faid to remain at the
firft years end in poffeffion of 400 acres
of land, a comfortable houfe, improv- - — ;^
ingftock, and fruitful farm,befides incalli, 1850^
Let it always be remembered, that the fame
calculation I have mcde for the MifTiffippi, will
nearly anfwer for the ^omhechbe or Mobile river
too ; but if you intend for the eaflern province,
or for Penfacola, be cautious and bring provifions
along with you to laft you at leaft the firft year.
It may not be amifs to recapitulate in a general
view the prefent exports of thefe provinces, toge-
ther with the poflible additions, which to all ap-
pearance may be made to them as mentioned in
the foregoing pages.
I ft. Articles already exported from thefe pro-
vinces.
Indigo, Indigo feed,
Maize, Salted wild beef,
Rice, ' Carravances,
Tobacco, Live cattle from Weft
Florida, Mules
Mules from
Louifiana,
Pitch,
Tar,
Squared timber^
Cedar pofts and plank,
Cyprefs &pine boards,
plank of various woods^
Scantling,
Spanifh Hoops,
Dried fait filli.
Canes,
Oranges,
Deer-fkins,
Peltry,
Myrtle-wax,
Pacan-nuts,
Raw hides,
Buffaloe tallow.
Bears oil*
Staves and headings
Shingles,
SafTafras,
2d. Articles, fome of which ^re already liatii-"
rally found, and othersj which to all appearance
will foon be introduced, and muft become ftaple
commodities in thefe provinces.
Wheat and wheat flour, Gil of olives,
Rye,
Hemp,
Flax,
Cotton,
Tanned leather.
Salt beef.
Bees-wax and
Silk,
Wine,
honey.
Salt pork,
ichthyocolkj
Cavear,
Madder,
Rhubarbj
Turpentine,
Oil of do.
Jalap,
Pot-alh,
Rofm,
Gum eleml.
Barilla,
StoraXj
Safflower^
Oil of Benni,
Figgs,
Raifins,
of ground liuts^
3d. Articles which
Drugs of many kinds,
we have the greateft rea-
C c fon
* This article and Cavear with fome Ichthyocolla are al-
already exported by the Spanilh filherm^n, the two firft ia
very confidwable quantities .
( 204 )
fon to believe will in procefs of time become
ilaple exports from thefe provinces •, thefe are.
Sugar, Coffee,
Hum, Pimento,
Ginger, Cacao.
4th. Articles of which it were to be willied that
the introdu(flion would be attempted foon, under
fome encouragement.
Tea, Cork Tree,
Arnotto, Spurious breed of the
Orchil, buffaloe.
Cochineal,
I have ufed my utmoft endeavours to colledt
materials for afcertaining the enumerated exports
of Carolina and Georgia for the lall two years, but
to no purpofe, except a paper of the beft autho--
rity wherein the ftate of the exports of the laft
province are recapitulated, and their value afcer-
tained ; this paper was printed by James John-
Hon, in Savannah, and is republilhed in this,
work, with a view to convince my reader by the
moft undoubted matter of fad:, that the province
of Georgia has advanced the value of her exports
in about feventeen years time from ;f 15000 to
£ 12 1000 fterling per annum, before the ifl of
January 1773, as fhewn in page 104 of this vo-
lume, this together with a confideration that in
the year 1768, when Georgia was ftill poor, that
province and Carolina were thought to increafe
the wealth of the Britifh nation, near a million
fterling* will make us reafonably judge that thele
two provinces under confideration, (one of which
is at leaft equal to Georgia, and the weftern one
infinitely
* Political eflays 4to London X772. p. 359.
infinitely fuperior to botli Carolina and Georgia in
point of the quantity of fertile acres) may in 10
yjears time do as mucli, provided that the courfe
of nature be not forced into another channel, when
either by fraud or violence means will be found
to deprive the inhabitants of the Floridas of the
benefits which have accrued to Carolina and
<jeorgia, from that law of nature and of God,
the lex agraria. Commerce is fo effectually ne-
cefTary to all people on earth, that none can be
faid to fubfift without it •, it is in this part of the
world chiefly neceflary on one account \ this is to
acquire the means of power to defend the country
by riches, which in all probability we mnft ex-
pert to do chiefly ourfelves, if we may judge from
the policy of defliroying the forts Touloufe and
Toml^echl^e among the chain of forts that defended
the colonies from the inroads of the favages ; it
may alfo be of ufe to maintain the poor, for of
thefe there are already no inconfiderable number
who not being brought up or ufed to tillage are
obliged to become fifliermen and hunters, con-
tributing to fupport the naval power of Britain
may likewife be called a third important motive
to urge us on to a promotion of trade, but this
lafl: caufe of incitement is yet in embryo. Let
us endeavour to build velTels ourfelves, let not
our trade in this country (where fhips may be fo
eafily procured) be confined to felling our pro-
duds at home to people from abroad, who will
jcome to fetch them at plealure ; if we do, what
mull become of the hopes of ever extending our
prefent limited fcttlements ! confider that on this
point depends the increafe of mankind, and the
welfare of every country.
( 206 )
Never let us fqffer monopolies from abroad •
obferve with what a fatality they are attended;
fee what a large cultivable trad of America lies
wafte through the influence of a mean dirty com-
jpany, who do not annually trade to above one
fourth the value of what fome private merchants
do both in England and Holland, and who have
ever with might and main in private oppofed the
purfuit of a bufmefs * the very efFeding and en-
couraging of which was the fundamental inten-
tion and condition of the charter which intitles.
them to be at prefent fuch a fet of illegal
regraters.
When we confider again the effeds of the
eflablifhment of European fadors on the trade
of Virginia, we fi.all likewife fee the effeds of
monopolies to be pernicious ; for this very
fcheme, however flrange my aflertion may ap-
pear, is a monopoly in difguife ; keep fuch
mangonizers from among us ; it is true, fome few
merchants will be at firft poflefTed of the chief
of all the trade, and thereby (if they are not more
virtuous than the generality of niankind at pre-
fent are) haye it in their power to do much mif-
chief to commerce, but let it be remembered,
that as long as they are not fadors from Europe
there is room for others to come in, whereas if
once European fadors take place, who have the
fale of the European manufadures configned to
them, with orders to keep the price of our va-
luable produds within their own flated limits, it
is alfo done with us; commerce will be fo
cramped that the innumerable quantities of pro-
fitable
? Difcpvery of a north weft paflage.
( 207 )
fitablc and fertile acres of this wide extended
wafte of new world might as well be converted
into a fea, and think not thefe cautions premar
ture i there is no want of defigning men to fet
fuch a fcheme on foot to the prejudice of thefe
new countries, and too many ungrateful fons of
America itfelf, would be found to turn their ac-
quaintance \vith its commercial interefts to ad-
vantage in gratifying a defire to have a bite at
her vitals. I would not be thoiight, notwith-
ftanding this, to contradift the advice i gave in
page 74 of this volume ; that fcandalous licen-
tioufnefs which fo greatly prevails among the
prefent traders, is fo great an evil, that it is be-
come highly neceffary a lefs one fhould be intro-
duced to effed the deftruction of the greater, by
monopolies of the trade of each particular favage
nation being granted to different men, who
would go to refide in each of thefe different na-
tions ; nor ihould they have this ftretch of fa-
vour bellowed on them by the community, un-
lefs they are laid under proper legal reftraints,
and until fuch time, as an amendment in the pre-
fent diftraded ftate of this gre^t and profitable
branch of trade might be effeded.
It would fcarcely have been neceffary to fay fQ
rnuch on this fubjed, were it not that new coun-
tries are fo open to an introdv^dion of novel
ichemes, which will be found of pernicious confe-
quences when it is too late j i fay it therefore once
more, oppofe all fchemes that may have a ten-
dency to introduce a monopoly of your produds,
for a conclufion, hear from me the opinion of the
greateft llatefman Europe ever produced j* he
I %s,
- ? Jan De Witt, counfellor penfionary of Holi^d.
C 2o« ;
fays that it was tbe opinion of the greateft ftatef-
men (undoubtedly after him) that had the rulers
of that refpedlable union in 1609 dealt in the
fame manner with every branch of trade as they
did with that of the Eaft and Weft- Indies, not
■one tenth -part of the inhabitants of that opulent
country would have been able to live and earn their
tread i and Holland would have been ruined,
i^nother writer poetically exclaims/" this (mean-
ing monopolies) is the fpring from whence mifery
overwhelms the people."* In fhort, to me it feems
nothing can be more evident than that the efta-
blifhing a rational commerce, in an equitable
manner, ihould be a principal aim at the fame
time with the eftablifnment of agriculture, and in-
trodudlion of profitable ftaples in a country fo
peculiarly full of advantages for the promoting
of thefe grand objeds, as the weftern province
efpecially is. J The particular branches of com-
merce fo naturally point themfelves out, that it
is
* Hac fonte cferi'vata cladis In patrtam populumque jiuxit
Thoughts of the prefent ftate of trade in India.
t I am here tempted, although not the leaft appearance
of fuch a monopoly exilh yet, to lay before my readers the
;rrianner of government at Surinam, a colony of people who
are beyond contradidion pofleffed of real liberty in all its
extent, and whofe political hiftory (notwithftanding their
vicinity to Great-Britain) remains abfolutely a dark laby-
rinth to almoft every individual of all ranks and claffes, high
or low, in the Britifli dominions, notwithftanding the
knowledge of a pamphlet, called Ohfernjation^ upon the Ne-
therlands, whofe author § (I afk pardon of his refpeflable
JTiemory) has only made fome crude and fhort remarks, in
which he has in the moft evident manner, publiflied his
thorough ignorance of the ftate of the government he pre-
tended to explain. This mode of adminiftration would
§ Sir William Temple. ",
C 209 )
IS unneceflary to fay mueh on that head ; I wll!
however flightly touch on a very few of the prin-
cipal
never have been erefted by my countrymen over their plan-
tations, was it not thzt a monopo/y was at the head of it,
what I offer here is a faithful tranflation of feme papers
authenticated in the utmoft extent of the word.
*^' The go'vernor, who at the fame time is colonel of the mili-
tary, (not the militia only) has the fupreme command over
the colony, as well in civil as military affairs : he is ap-
pointed by the fociety ; but his appointment mufl be ap-
proved of by the uni'verfal fiates. In affairs of confequence,
he is obliged to affemble the council of poHcc, where he al-
ways prefides, as well as in the council ofjujiice, the vacating
offices are pro tempore in the gift of the governor till further
orders fro m the diredors ; the governor has the care of the
fafety of the colony, and iffues the neceffary orders for that
end; but when is to be protedled againft inimical inva-
fions, he muft affemble the grand coart-martial, confilting of
the commander, all the captains, and as many members of
the council of police, as there are military officers in the court-
martial ; the go'vernor prefides in this aifembly, and pro-
pofes what he thinks neceflary for the fecurity of^ the colony,
Laftly, t\\t go'uernor (by his inftriidlions) is obliged to pro-
teft and promote the reformed religion in Sunnam. The
governor has a/ecretary, who is paid by the diredors. The
maintenance of all the officers ispaidoutof taxesimpofedon
all the inhabitants, the diredors pay only t\\e go'vernor* s fa-
lary with apatt of the pay of the foldiers, and the mainte-
nance o^ X^Q garrijon.
The council of police and criminal ju^ice confifts of ten
cm-nfellors, (including the commander of the/or/j andtroops,
who bears the title oi prime counfellor,) with the al torn ey -ge-
neral and a/ecretary : it has already been obferved that the
governor conflantly prefides in this coujicil.
The council of jujl ice confifts Oithe go^oernor, and fix other
perfons, to whom a fecretary is added ; civil affairs are
managed by this council. But an appeal lies to the uni'ver/al
Jiates; the goz>ernor has here only one 'vote, except where a
cafling vote is wanted, in thefe cafes his opinion is decifve ;
the counfellors of police an^jufice draw no falaries ; the
members are elected by the votes of ail and every of the
inhabitants for a double number, out of which the vouerncr
( 2IO )
cipaiprofpeds now apparently already open to us*
Our timber trade is certainly capable of being
made
appoints according to his plcafure : they muft declare by a
.folemn oath that they will obierve and maintain (in every
part) the charter ^X2inX.t^ by the uninjerfal fiates to the fociety
and that in every other bufinefs they will confer ?n themfelves
to the orders which from time to time they may receive from
the direSors.
At Paramaribo there is alfo a chamber of fmall affairs*
znA a chamber for the management of the affairs of orphans
and unpoffeffcd legacies. The firll: confilb of feven commijjaries
and OV.C Jecretary ; the laft of four o-uerfeers of orphans, who
have a clerk and book-keeper in their fervice.
The. military, maintained at Surinam, confifts offour com-
panies of foot; the governor is their colonel, and captain
of the firft company; the commandant ofthefoits commands
the fecond company ; this laft named gentleman together
with the captains, lieutenants, and enfgn's compofe the infe-
rior court-martial. "Thefe^en provinces ha^ve promifed to pay
the expence of one man in each company ^ on the return of the
nvar-ofice, for the protedlion of the colony of Surinam. The
whole colony is divided into eight parts; according to which
divifion, we find a fimilar number of companies of militia ;
each commanded by a captain, the two firft companies are
compofed of the inliabitants of Paramaribo, the third of the
ward, of Thorarica ; the fourth and fifth from upper and
lower Ccmma-ivina ; the fixth of Cottika and Perika, the
feventh from Paulus-Creek ; and the eighth of the Jeiioijh
nation.
The churches, the clergy, and leclurers are maintained at
the expence of the inhabitants ; the clergy meet yearly in the
month of February to confider the ftate and neceffities of the
church. In this afTembly (known by the name of Con'ven-
ius 'Deputatorum) a counfellor of the court of police prefides,'
with the title of political commifiary.
As an addendum, every man without exception, whether
a native of the mother country or not, is obliged on his ar-
rival to take the oath of fealty to this nchle fociety.
I do not prefent my readers with the above account be-
caufe I think a general monopoly is ever likely to take place,
but to let them have an opportunity of comparing their own
happy ckcumftances with thoie of a people where monopo-
( 211 )
made incomparably greater tlian that of other
Countries together, as well in quantity as in va-
riety : but care fhould be taken that this trade
fliould be put Under fueh regulations as would
prevent a wafte of timber, (fuch as has been too
fatally praftifed in the north of America,)*
and at the fame time make our timber by a pro-
per mode of manufa'dluring, anfwer the European
markets, equally with thofe of the Weft-India
iflands, Whefe the fuperior quality of Weft-
Florida timber ftands acknowledged without a
rival. Nothing is wanting to effett this, but the
erecting anumber of favving-mills on the Dutch
model, and the procuring a regularity of demand
for the manufaftured boards, &c. As a proof that
large quantities df timber may be brought down
to our fea-fide lettlemehts, I beg leave to relate
the following inftance ; Monf. de la Gduterais^y
formerly an officer in the lervice of his moft
ehriftian Majiefty, but now refiding as ia planter
on Pearl-river, fome years ago had the command
of the garrifon of Tomhechhe^ during this tedious
fequeftrationfrom ehriftian inhabitants he thought
D d of
lifts prefide, confidering at the fame time that even thefe
monopolizers through poverty are obliged to allow extraor-
dinary privileges; Iwifti to put every perfon on his guarcj even
againft particular monopolies or monopolies in difguifc.
All Dutch ftiips pay three guilders per laft, both at enter-
tering and clearing oUt of the colony, which is about 2/ 9/.
Her. per ton> of every fhip, port-charges^ ajid the inhabitants
pay a general poll-tax, black or white ; each. colb. of
fugar, and 2 | per cent, on all imported goods, and no vef-
fels from the other Dutch colonies are allowed to enter here.
* For a fmall inftance, dog- wood is ufed as fire-wood in
New-York ; it is a hard fine grained timber, lit for many
afes to much better purpofes.
( 212 )
of a fcheme to turn this folitude to advantage ♦,
to efFeft this he employed feveral favages of
the Chaftaw nation in the cutting of cedar trees,
and made thofe of his little garrifon who were
able and willing for a reward to do it, fquare the
timber, and form fome of it into a very llrong
frame of a houfe of about fixty foot by twenty-
five, which frame was next fpring erefted on an
ifland or gravel bank, about two miles below
the fort, and during the fummer feafon, and re-
cefs of the waters, this frame was filled with the
fquared timber, which was effedlually fecurcd
againft removing. When he had this raft corn-
pleated, he got leave of abfcnce, and watched the
time of the rifmg waters, which at length took
the raft away and him with four people upon it ;
this raft drew about 12 feet of water, and came
down the river without let or hindrance, carrying
before it every obftacle (even bending large trees
under it) all the way down to Mobile, and by
fome negle6t even as far down the bay as the
prefent fort Croftown ; when thus we fee that
an enormous raft containing upwards of five
hundred tuns of folid timber may be with facility
brought down the 'Tombechbe^ above three hun-
dred miles^ what have we not a right to expedt:
in the MiJJiJfipi,
Naval ftores are likewife an article of immenfe
fpeculation in both provinces \ Weft-Florida
already fupplies Spain with confiderable quanti-
ties •, no province can fo profitably furnifli
Madeira with corn and pipe-ftaves than Weft-
Florida, and in return fupply itfelf and other
provinces with wines : the above named fiftieries
likewife may yield a very profitable commercial-
benefit-
C 213 ;
benefit. The trade for furs is a fifth articlp qf
importance, and is already very great ; to men-
tion rice^ indigo, tobacco, &,c. would be fuperfluous.
But i have one material point to mention, i have
often wondered at the ftypidity of people let
loofein a certain part of the field of commerce :
i mean the trade with the Spaniards, the deceit-
ful appearance of which has led many into ruin,
and yet intoxicates every one who is fo unfortunate
as to ftray within its bounds to a degree of mad-
pefs. The generality of traders this way, confi-
der only the price of things as they formerly
Hood, and not that thefe articles are much fallen
jn their price on the Spanifh coafts ; the danger
attending this trade t:hey defpife, though it too
often proves fatal j the delays on the coaft are
not fo much as thought of, an4 the perfidy of
the Spanifli traders forgot; the underfelling by
Dutch and French traders, although very real,
is thought chimerical, and fo on i in fhort, the
profpeft is here fo gilded over, that nothing but
profits appear, where nothing but certain and
inevitable lofs can be expe<5ted; the fatal miftake
of pver-ftocking every part of America with
European manufadbiires^ is a kind of obligation,
or rather compulfion on us to ftrike out into
fuch pernicious branches of ^rade to the ruin of
thofe who are interefted, as well here as in Eur
rope. Be then advifec^ and let no vain hopes
intoxicate you, have patience, and if you import
goods from Europe with views of profit, import
them in moderate quantities, unlefs long credit
or abundance of money enablp you to wait pa-
tiently for the arrival of the Spaniards on our
own Goaft ; and let none of our veflels frequent
theiir
( 214 )
their coafts except it be for the purpofe of cutting
fine timber and dye-wood, (and even thefe not
ipftcn) or when you are very well fecured by va-'
lue left in your hands for the vefTel to fetch a
previpufly engaged, (but by no mea^ns by you)
yet paid for cargo. Believe me, an American
Spaniard will give you more for your goods at
your own houfethan he will on his coaft, and by
coming to us he feems to loofe ail his cunning,
which in fa6t is only owing to our eagernefs of
compleating a voyage when we arrive on their
coa(ts. More branches of trade are not at pre-
ient to be rnentioned, becaufe none have as yet
appeared in this country to be worth purfuing,
but an immenfe variety muft and will in the?
courfe of nature rnake their apperance.
Having now explained my meaning in refpe6l
of the commercial ihtereft of the country, i will
fay a few words on the l^enefits arifmg from the
population of thefe and other limilar provinces.
|t is an undoubted fa6b, which has been long
ago taken notice of,* that one man trani^lanted
into the colonies creates work for four or five iti
^he mother country -, ' a late writer § agrees with
this in faying, th^t nymbers of people who would
have migrated to foreign countries, or done
worfe, are, by coipin^ here preferved, and when
^)ecome rich, return nome.' I muft!, however,
differ in opinion from a third,-f- who has quoted
both thefe, and expreijes his opinion, by faying^
that emigrants ought to be made fettle where
they
* By Sir Jofiah Ch\ld, in his difcourfeon trade, p. 14.9.
§ Dr. Campbell's confiderations on the fugar trade.
t Political eiTays, p. 359.
( 215 }
they may be beneficial to Great-Britain-, his
faying would be juft if a rqigration to the nor-
thern colonies ^as pernicious, but this is fo far
from being the cafe" that people there love room
as much as any where ; the continual and of late
cxceflive importation of fettlers into thefe colo-
nies is an evident propf of this, for by means of
thefe, even the natives are obliged to look out
for habitations wh^re ^hey are more at liberty to
cncreafe, not only the necefTaries of life to which
they are at prefent confined, but alfo profitable
ftaples for the mother cQuntry. A very ftriking
proof of this appears at prcfent in every on^ of
the northern colonies, though in none fo
much as in Connecticut, whole very hill-tops
are inhabited full -, thofe migrations ought
therefore to be encouraged, becaufe they will na-
turally find their way to the more favourable
climates and foil of the fojuthern colonies. It is
alio the inrereft of the fouthern colonies to en-
courage the migrations from the northward, for
fear thefe iaft might by being confined within
their proiific regions be in time induced to think
of forming bodies of modern Goths and Vandals
to over-run and invade the territories of their more
happily fituated fouthern neighbours. I am
therefore induced to think, that (however
ilrange it may appear that a people in one hun-
dred and fifty years time fliould increafe fb rapidly
as thefe have done) there is a neceiTity even now
to enlarge their territories •, in this i agree
with the Iaft quoted writer, and if Britain wants
to fecure the dependency of thefe colonies, it is ab-
jblutely incumbent on her to allow this, contrary
to -fome late ill-judged fchemes as this may
appear.
( 21^ )
appear. Can flie fuppole that thofe countries will
remain unfettled ? No, the profpe6t is too fine,
numbers of families have through the natural
courfe of the increafe of mankind fettled them-
felves on the lands intended lately for a new pro-
vince on the Ohio : if i am rightly informed, no
lefs than fifteen hundred families already, and
many others on places not yet fo much as
thought of in Britain. Thefe are the people who
are moft likely to form independencies, and not
the known provinces i what ideas have thefe
people of the paltry fear of a war with a few
lavages, (for in the northern America they are
but few) not that i would be thought to imagine
that thefe laft mentioned provinces would not
ilrike in with them in cafe of favourable oppor-
tunities; what if fomeenterprizing genius among
thofe difperfed inhabitants fhould form an idea
of becoming a great man, and by infinuating
himfelf among the moft weftern tribes of favages
(who never having had intercourfe with us, nor
any other white people, fuch for inftance are the
Nadouejfins^ who 'are faid to be a people remark-
ably tradable) would incorporate a body of
whites with them, and form combinations with
other neighbouring nations, and thus form them-
felves into a regular ftate. Such a ftate would
undoubtedly foon become formidable, and be
daily increafedby fuch men as for want of roon>
would leave the crouded provinces. Thefe, fup-
pofmg them at firft vagabonds, or little better,
when they Ihould find themfelves in a place where
they might polTefs the fweetsof life ateafe, would
find it their intereft to become united with the
common v/eal-, therefore, i fay again, that.fince
( 217 )
for want of room, people to the number of at
ieaft five hundred thoufand men, brought up
to farming, are now without employ through
lack of land^ and therefore they are obliged to
migratCj) and fettle without the limits of
the eftablilhed governments, and thus it is
highly incumbent on Britain to enlarge thole
limits, or form new provinces », a few paltry-
tribes of favages who retain the ancient grudge
againft us are no obftacle •, the emigrants will
foon bear down thofe melting remains of a peo-
plej who having loft their country, cannot fail
to hate us, on that account, and in a kind of
defpair will rather choofe to be deftroyed than to
incorporate with us. Such bodies as above dc-
fcribed being once formed, can any man in his
fenfes fuppole, that poffelTed with the fpirit and
ideas of freedom, for which the Americans are
fo remarkable, they would after a courfe of thirty
or forty years enjoyment of fuch an independency
be brought to fubmit themfelves to any impofed
government ? By no means ; for not to mention
their inacceflibility, men, who thus by a regular
train of accidents become mafters of a country
by honeft means, and improve it by robuft in-
duftry, are not fo eafily diflodged as we may
imagine ; hiftory furnifhes abundance of inftances
of fuch combinations of men, in a fhort time, be-
coming formidable •, and eVen in General Ogle-
thorpe's time a German with conceptions fimilar
to thofe above named was found among the
Creek favages, who, had he not engaged in his
fcheme intirely alone, and therefore by the
Craeks, (although reluftantly) through the Ge-
, neral's importunity and intrigues betrayed into
his
( 2l8 )
his enemies hands, it would have been no wonder
if luch a man, with fuch ideas, joined to the
amazing prefence of mind and intrepidity he is
faid to have been polTefTed of tirould have fd
nefl-led himfelf in the foutherii part of America,
that we might have had ho octafiori to think or
forming the two provinces of Florida in 1763 ;
and we may venture to affirni; that had not the
ffettlement of Georgia, jiifl at that crifiS become
the objeft of Britain's attention, he would have
gone on unnoticed till he had formed all the
neighbouring nations into a regular governed
body, too ftrong to be crufhed by an^ power
from abroad. But laying afide this reafoning,
which i ftill infift upon is not only apparently
probable^ but may be looked upon as certainly
to happen, unlefs the prefent bounds of the fe-
veral provinces are enlarged ; there are other co-
gent reafons to induce Britain to change h£r ton-
dud: in refpedt to this branch of her politicks, Ihe;
ought to let the Americans fpread themfelveg
under regular governments over the continent,
that they may be planters of ftaples, and thereby
find the means of employing more hands in the
mother country, by obtaining from her fuch of
the neceffaries of life as they find themfelves
obliged to have from Europe, at ah eafier rate
than they could procure them amori'g themfelves.
By fuffering the Upper latitude of the MifTifTippi,'
and the banks of the Ohi6f to be cultivated under
the influence of a regular and civil government,
we {hall increafe fuch plenty of neCeffafies in the
mother country, that all connediOn with foreign-
ers who have the balance of trade againft Britain
will become needlefs, any further than in felling
them
them Britilli manufadlures for money, inftead of
what is now the cafe of fending bullion, befides
the ftated quota of manufa6lures, in exchange
for hemp, iron, flax, and other fuch neceffary
and bulky articles. When we confider, that
during the period of time in which thefe higher
countries enjoyed and were proteded by a ftate
'of regular government under the French, one
winter (fo long ago as twenty-eight years) fur-
nilhed new Orleans with eight hundred thoufand
weight of good flour from Ilinois*, we muft be
fenfible at what a reafonable rate this and other
neceflaries of life could be procured at New-
Orleans and Penfacola, and from thence to Eaft-
Florida and the Weft-Indies, where the Pennfyl-
vanians and New-Yorkers at prefent infift on
their own price, info much that flour now is
commonly at from 20/ to 22/ per cent their
currency at home; whereas I remember that even
in 1760, during the war, i6s. and i8s. was
thought a high price. Tliis alone demonftrates
the necefllty of fuch a meafure ; would not fuch
a frefli fupply fpread its influence even acrof^
the Atlantic to the poor in Britain .? no doubt it
v/ould, the navigation down thefe rivers is no-
thing in difficulty or expence compared with
that of the European rivers, from whence the
materials come for the fupply of Britain. The
inhabitants of the upper counties of Virginia and
Pennfylvania would be obliged to drop the
bulky commodities they now raife, if they
faw the inhabitants of upper MiffilTippi, the Ohio,
&c. raife the fame with redoubled ardor, and in a
E e perhaps
DuPratz.
( 220 )
pcrliaps four-foid quantity, at the fame time
brino-ing them to market at much lefs than half
the expence themfelves can do it at, and in-
llead of the faid coarfe, heavy, and bulky articles,
they would neceflarily be induced to think feri-
oufly of a vigorous culture of wine, filk, oil, and
fimilar neceffary, light, and valuable produfts,
able to bear the heavy tax of land carnage to
which thofe countries are by nature fubjefted.
In cafe of a rupture with any power who fhould
think proper to attack tlie ibuthern provinces,
cfpecially Wefb-Florida, would they not moil
naturally be fupplied with provifions, ammuni-
tion, and foldiers by way of the river from thofe
fettlements in the higher latitudes ? nor is it on
account of hemp and flax, &c. alone^ which may
be faid to be ftill objeds of fpeculation, we fee
the tobacco culture which is a branch of vaft im-
portance to the revenue as it were daily moulder-
incT away into its primitive non-exiftence, and
therefore new lands for this culture ought to be^
found and improved ; the want of this fupply of
the revenue wHl foon be felt in the treafury, and
Britain v^ill find too late that llie would have
done well to have gone not only to the ex-
pence of the eftablilhment of thefe new pro-
vinces, but even to the expence of that tre-
mendous bug-bear, a war, with the remainsof
the ancient inimical tribes of favages •, unlefs in-
deed, fhe intended the proclamation of Oftober
^7, 1763, as a meer matter of form, and wifhed the
back fettlements quietly to fpread themfelves
without any expence to the mother-country •, but
•iliould this be the cafe, the miftakes of fuch po-
iicv I think are fully refuted in the foregoing
pages J
( 221 )
pages : the fpreading of people over the conti-
nent will make them produce great quantities of
ftaples, and Britain hereby would fecure a period
for the dependance of the colonies upon her,
while Ihe would have nothing to do but provide
markets for the produce of the labour of her fons.
All Europe is fenfible of this ; every writer i
meet with is either of my opinion, or abfurdly
and continually contradicts and confuxes his own:;
maintenance of the contrary in his own writings :
i beg leave, to qiwte a very fenfible Frenchman
(whofe name I know not) on this fubject, " it is
true," fays he," that the free and happy fituation
of North- America, may much diforder our Eu-
ropean fyftems, * particularly, if the Englilh
colonies attain to the not paying impofed duties.
Vaft, fertile, and new trads, where neither cuf-
toms, taxes, nor military troops,, will take place,
becaufe they need fear no invafion, will deferve
the moil ferious attention from all our govern-
ments ; and policy will be obliged more than,
ever to turn all her views on the fide of benefi-.
cence. Thofe ftates which will be lateft in uUng
this reflection, will find themfelves utterly inca-
pable of mending the evil •, for the greatnefs of
punilhments or weight of flavery only ferve to.,
increafe ill-blood." This is. not the way to
mend the matter, and i think certainly that no.
remedy will pofllbly be found out againft fuch
a number of evils,, as muft. neceffarily attend the
keeping.
* The French word is Combtnaifines Eurapeanes, which
may mean European alliances, combinations, orjundions,
but I cannot find Englifh fenfe in uf:ng either, therefore I.
fuppofe he means fyftems, or he may hjive iiipaot Europeivn
plots which the word alio be2.rsv
( 222 )
keeping the colonies confined to their prefent
bounds, whereas, by only allowing people to
fpread over the country, they will all be efFedu-
aily prevented.
To give my reader an idea of what room there
is yet left for people to plant themfelves, i muft
tell him, that between the latitudes of 3 1 to 46,
which i judge to be the moll habitable country
from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean, and which
cannot fail by the courfe of nature to become the
country of thofe Americans v/ho were originally
planted from England, Holland, and France,
and emigrated from Germany, on, and to
the Ihores which bound the Atlantic weitward,
and \yho now generally fpeak Englilh •,
within thefe limits I fay are contained no lefs
than two thou find one hundred and thirty- five
millions, and forty thoufand fquare acres, ex-
clufive of the known waters ; at lead" twice as
much as the vail em.pire of China is faid to con- -
tain, and allowing each family to pofTefs fifty
acres of land, there is room for forty two millions,
fevcn hundred and eight families to live here.
To conclude this difcourfe on the fettling of
nev/ provinces, i will jufl obferve that the daily
emigrations of the people beyond the frontiers,
even at the rifque of th,e dreadful fituation of
being expofed to favage incurfions, is the moil
evident proof of the necclTity of this meafure to
the at prefent crouded Americans, if not to Bri-
tain. Likewife it is a proof how little the pre-
fent Americans v/ho inhabit the frontier coun-
tries value fo infignificant a foe as theremains of
the ancient inimical tribes of fivagcs, or even th(?
prcfecutions in lav/ of fuper-intendants, their
delegates.
( -223 )
delegates, and other formerly ufeful oITicers,
To fay a word or two about the politkal hif-
tory of thefe provinces, may be thought incum-
bent on me, but little can be faid of moment on
that fubjed as yet ; except that Major Ogiivie
in taking poiTeflion of the eaftern province, by
his impolitick behaviour caufed all the Spaniards
to remove to Hav anna, which was a deadly wound
to the province, never to be cured again, notr
withftanding the inviting means ufed by Gover-
nor Grant, who fucceeded him, to retain, the re-r
mainder, and to make them all return •,-— that
Governor Grant ufed zW poOible means, to, en-c
courage indigo and rice planting ;.— that the-
crown v/ould not allow the transfer of Spaniik
landed intereft to be good, although mentioned
in the articles of peace •, — that the faid governor
reigned fupreme without controul, and in peace,
notv/ithflanding the frequent murmurs of the
people, and the prefentm.ents of the grand juries,
occafioned by his not calling an afTembly, which
they thought was a duty incumbent on him j— r-
there was alfo a complaint of the contingent
money of five thoufand pounds per annum, for
feven years, not being fo very vifibly expended
on highways, bridges, fei-ries. and fuch other
necelTary things as the people could have v/iihed-,
finally. Governor Grant departed the province
for Britain in 1772, on account of his bad (late
of health, having a pompous addrefs prefented to
him by his council, which was re-echoed by a
few of the inhabitants j — that he v/as fucceeded
by Major Moultrie as lieutenant-governor, who
was again fucceeded by Patrick Tonyn, Efq-,"
as- governor in chief, who enjoys the conimanji
there
( 224 )
there now •, — that in- the northern extremltv of
the province at the mouth of St. Mary's river, a
place is now founded, which, to all appearance,
by its fituation and fuperior entrance into its har-
bour compared with St. Auguftine, will draw
the feat of government away from the latter ; —
that the cultivation of many articles, efpecially
indigo, begins to wear a pleafing and promifing
afped.
Concerning Weft-Florida, i can only fay,
that difcord has early made her appearance in
the counfels of this province ; — that difaffeclion
to Governor Johnfon has been the occafion of
its being fo late as it was in rearing its head ; —
that Montfort Brown, Efq-, fucceeded him as
commander in chief in quality of lieutenant-go-
vernor, who was fucceeded by Elliot, Efq;
who unhappily ended his days •, when the lieu-
tenant-governor again fucceeded him, and was a
fecond time replaced by Governor Chefter, who.
is univerfally efteemed, and under whofe aufpices
the province is in a thriving condition.
About March 1772, the freeholders being
met for the purpofe of eledling their reprefenta-
tives, but finding that the writs mentioned a con-
tinuance of the affembly for three years, (whereas,
they had heretofore held annual elections) they
now added this condition to their votes, that the
new ele6led members were to continue only one
year -, the mode of return on the v/rit the gover-
nor took ill, and refufed to accept it, infiftingthat
tlie members fhould be returned for three years,
but all in vain, the freeholders remained inflex-
ible, and rather than not have annual eleftions,
they chofe to remain without reprefentatives,
which
•^' ( 225 ;
which has been the cafe ever fince. The fettle-
ment of this province goes on very rapidly, and
its different valuable produds increafe a-pace.
^ I (hall now treat of a fubject in which I con-
fefs myfelf not to have fo much Ikill as I could
wilh ; i fpeak of it from fuch experience as my
temper, inquifitive into the myfteries of nature,
has furnilhed me with during my flay in this
country •, i mean the difeafes moft frequent in
thofe provinces. But by way of prologue, i Ihall
enquire a little into the univerfally dreaded,
though chimerical unhealthinefs of this climate.
Dr. Lind* enumerates fome proofs orfigns of an
unhealthy country, which are as follows, viz.
ill. Sudden and great alterations in the air, from
intolerable heat, and chilling cold -, this is per-
ceived as foon as the fun is fet, and for the moll
part is accompanied with a very heavy dew, and
Ihews an unhealthy fwampy foil •, this is perfeftly
the cafe on St. John's river, and about Naffau-
river, in Eaft-Florida, likewife at Mobille, and
Campbellton, in Well-Florida. AtPenfacola, and
from thence Eaft : there is little or none of this
perceivable •, at Orleans, and on the Miflilfippi i
was not fenfible of any fudden alterations of this
kind: and on enquiry found it not to be generally
complained of. Neither of thofe provinces are
fo fubjed to this unhealthy variability as Georgia
and Carolina, efpecially the laft ; however, i do
not find that any perfon need be much under un-
eafmefs about this any where, not even a newly
arrived European ; the chief care neceffary to
fuch at feafons when thefe fudden alterations take
place
* zdediuonp. 1, ch, 4. fe^. 2, p. 137, et fec[, Londcj>
1771'-
place, is to avoid being expoied to the night air^
and after fun itt^ to add fome more clothes to
thofe worn in the day time ; and if on a journey
ii-i the woodo, never forget keeping a very large
fire 3t night in order to rarify this dangerous air.
His fecond fign is, thick noifome fogs, arifing
chiefly after fun-fet, from the vallies, and more
particularly from the mud, (lime, and other im-
purities ; this i never perceived to a great degree
in any part of thefe provinces •, St. John's alone
is very fubjed: to thick nafty fogs of all kinds,
the fea-fide where foft fait marlTies are frequent,
is often troubled widi thefe, and thefe marllies a
little before rain emit a moil horrid, and to me
a fuffocating flench ; the northern part of Eail-
Florida is very full of thefe kind of marfnes, in
Georgia and Carolina they cover a prodigious
furface -, the marfhes in the fouth eaft of Eafb-
Florida are of a different nature, and in Weft-
Florida i remember very few of this kind ; i
have, however^ never heard any thing faid con-
trary to a prevailing opinion of great falu-
brity in dwelling near the fea fide, even
among the thickeft of thefe marfhes •, nor have
i ever Jieard any notice taken of the above flench
by the inhabitants, except as being a certain in-
dication of rain ;. where this kind of marflies are
fituate in brackifh water, the fituation is beyond
doubt very unhealthy, the wan complexion and
miferable mien of the generality of the inhabitants
of fuch diflrifcs too plainly evinces it- We
. know by experience, that all fuch fenny countries
.on every part of the earth labour under the fame
unhealthy calamity, but the comfort is, their
areas are e/ery where very imall whbn compared
with
( 227 )
with the more faUitary fituations which abound
almoft univerfally in every province, arid in every
ciim.ite. ' ''
The third is, uncommon fwarms of flies, gnats,
and other infects, which attend putrid air, and
unhealthy places covered with wood ; the firft of
thefe 13 not common here, except at indigo works;
and if thefe, according to my former caution *
be a little remote from the dweihng, I never law
nor heard of any bad confequences with regard to
health attending them. I have already m.entioned
the bad effects of thefe voracious vermin on cattle
of all kind at an indigo work j gnats, here called
mufquitos, are vaftly numerous in fome fpots,
but after we have pafled fome dillance the brackifh
waters in every river, they diminiih, and at laft
we find none -, the Mifllflippi however is an ex-
ception, but on this river they are not in fuch
plenty at the freflies as below, at the rigolets^ On
pearl river, and at the Rivkre aux Boetifs, and on
Dolphin-ifland, likewife inSanla-Rofdbzy, and in
the bays of St. Andrews, St. Jofephs, and at St.
George's found and iflands, they are intollerable,
and all the fea coaft of both provinces is exceed-
ingly pieftered with them. I travelled acrofs the
peninfulain 1769, in the months of June, July,
Auguft, and September, but found none at all in
the interior part; i never heard thefebeing attended
by any fatal difeafe except their troublefome bites,
which fometimes caufe inflammations, Specially
in ; the legs ; but the inhabitants of the wefl;crn
province h effedualy fortify themfelves againfl:
thofe vermin with mufqueto nets, tents, and
*Page 139. .-r":b •...•{■;'-:.
( 228 )
Baires,* that whether at home or travellingj they
are not in the leall danger trom the attacks ct this
terrible and bold, though dimunitive enemy,
whofe deilruftion gradually lakes place asthewoods
daily diminifh ; in very dry hot aimmers, fcarce
any ot thefe vermin are feen j a very dry hot air
caufing the deaths of numberlefs animacuU of
every kind, their effluvia, even of thofe that are
imperceptible to the naked eye, arifing or ex-
haling from ponds, marflies, Iwaraps, &c. miift
fpread a great quantity of noxious vapours
through the atmofphere, § and eonfequently cor-
rupt the air, and fpread difeafe throughout their
vicinity ; this misfortune will likewife ceafe on
opening tlie country, till then let rae advife every
new comer, particularly a pcrfon of a grofs habit
of body,- to be careful of his conititution, a wine-
bibber or rum guzzler, with fuch a plethoric ha-
bit, can hardly avoid falling a prey to this bad air.
His fourth, is the quick corruption of butcher's
meat, &e. this, if the cafe at all in any of thefe
provinces,- is ftot common, i remember indeed to
have heard 2 complaint of this happening at Pen-
facola in 1765,^ which was a fickly feafon,- but in
all myjournies through thefe provinces I never
experienced it,- on the contrary I could always
by fome means or other preferve my venifon, or
beef, when there was a neccffity for doing it.
The fifth reafon, fays the Dodor, is a fort of
fandy foil, among others he fays, fu-ch as that at
Penfacola ; i beg leave to inform the Dodor, that
the fand about Fen^cola^ and throiaghout thefe
provinces j
* Baires are a kind of tent made of light coarfe cloth, like
canvas gauze, called by the French vilTemontitrf,
§ See page 1 5 of this volume.
( 22,9 )
provinces, is a coarfe, gritty and gravelly fand of
various colours, though chiefly red and .whitCj
that on this fendy foil many excellent fakibrious
herbs grow, which fepve as food to innumerable
herds of cattle, and when cleared they are im-
provable by culture -, this is not the cafe with the
hot fandy defarts of South- America, Africa, ant|
Afia, over which the /^»«W wind pafles, nor do i
believe that the ojdeft perfon in Florida fernembers
any fudden, hot ajid fuffocadng gul|s, or blafts,
from which he has ever been obliged to turn his
face in order to draw breath ; th^re ,are no open
plains of fand in North- America, they are al(
covered with trees rooted in tl^e lower llrata of
thefe fandy trads ; the only plain of faqd i know
without trees, is at, or near the head of St. Lucia,
in Eaft Florida, which however i§ not extenfive,
and to it numerous herds of roe-deer relort during
night fr«m the adjacent woodsf i think, therefore,
that neither of the Floridas have any ill confe-
quences to dread from their land winds ; more-
over, if vye confidcr, that %he land-winds come
from the weft and north-weft ; geography will
tell us, that they range over innumerable acres of
oak land, confequepitly clay ground,^ and that
only the fea coafts, and from twenty to about an
hundred miles offj are any ways fandy j which
being fo conftantly fanned by the wholefome fea-
breezes, (fo r^nmrkable in thefe provinces) could
?iot have any fatal effedls, even if the ground was
of the nature of the Lybian defarts ; thus we lee
again how men reafoning irom -mere theory, are
liable to commit miftakes.
Ta
-* Excepting the few hommocks near the fea, which -arc
oak land, but moil of them fand.
( 230 ;
To treat of the difeafes to which the human
frame is moft liable here, in the fame regular
manner, as i believe i have done of every pre-
ceeding article, i will divide them into two clafies,
viz. acute and chronic, and the iirft again into
two orders, viz. thofe of the fummer, and thofe
of the winter.
Fevers are the firft of the fummer difeafes ; the
ancients have ages ago made an obfervation, that
the feafon of tlie reign of this terrible dilbrder
was always preceeded by an atmofphere laden
with gr^at heats, and much rain, for fome time ;
the modern writers feem to me to be generally of
the fame opinion ; this is exactly the cafe in all
the foutji^rn provinces ; for fevers begin to take
place in fome diftridts more, in fome Tefs, about
the latter end of July, and in Auguft, and con-
tinue throughout September, and part of 06to-
ber, juft the fe&fon immediately fucceeding
our greateft rains; and moft violent heats ; here i
will notice a * remark which i have read long
ago, and i find it confirmed in all climates,
** That the middle of the third month was obr
ferved to be the period of the greateft r^ge of
epidemical diforders." Thofe diftridls which
lay near to low rice fields, particularly in back
fwamps) and to fuch indigo works, where the
planter is obliged to make refervoirs of water, are
moft liable to thefe diforders, after, and during
the latter part of an exceffive drought ; becauft
in thofe neighbourhoods the air is at fuch times
moft prodigloufly. , loaden with corrupt moift
effluvia
. * -Inquiry concerning the caufe of the peftilence, and the
difeaies in fleets and armies. London 1759.
{ 2^1 J
effluvia ; for this fame reafon, cool rainy funi-
mers will make thofe places more healthy than
dryer ipots, becaufe during fuch a feafon all the
above mentioned noxious exhalations do not take
place in fo great a degree, and the air is kept cool
by the frequency of the fhowers ; however fuch
fituations will never be fo common in the Floridas
as in Carolina or Georgia, the quantity of good
v/holefome frelh running water being infinitely
greater, and confequently little neceflity of
making ftagnating ponds or dams.
It rriuft be allowed, that all fevers however
difTimiiar in appearance, proceed from the fame
origin J nature only works with more or left
^violence to rid herfelf of what, is detrimental to
her.
The Ephemera, or day fever, occafioned by a
meer increafe of the velocity of the blood, by-
means of a fit of drunkennefs, or debauch, or
originating from violent exercife during the heat
of the day is too frequently feen here •, but as it
is feldomof a longer continuance than eighteen or
twenty hours, it has not often dangerous con-
fequences, and may be avoided by every perfon^
i fhall content myfelf with barely obferving, that
fome cooling acidulated liquid aliments will foon
abate its violence, bleeding may likewife be of
yfe to reftrain its force.
The continual fever, or inflammatory fever, js
fometimes, though rarely experienced in this cli-
mate, but feldom attended by thofe dreadful
fymptoms and fatality, which accompany the
fame kind of fever, though of a more violent
clafs ir^ the countries immediately between the
tropics 1 this, in its comnioil form lafts about ten
( 232 ; ^
or twelve days, beginning to abate its violence
In general after the feventh ; the fourth or fifth isi
often fatal. lam perfuaded^ that whenever thei
yellow fever has made its appearance in the Flo4
ridas, it \yas imported from Jamaica or Havan*.'
nah, as was the cafe in 1765, which (by the way)
was almoft univerfally an unhealthy JSra, as well
in Europe as elfewhere. This continual fever
begins with ar> exGefliye heat of the whole body,
continued, though pot violent head ach, great
drought of the tongue and palate, and confe-
cjuently a continual defire to drink ; thofe peo-
ple who die of this diforder, generally depart on 1
the fourth day, an4 I am of opinion, that few
are carried off by it, except fgch a^ gre kept too •
clofe confined from the frell> air : i would re-
commend the keeping the fun out of the room, ,
but to admit as much air as will gently ventilate :
it ; a cooling diet, fuch as rice gruel, barley wa-
ter, infufions of baum, or fage^ and lemonade,
"which is lime juice, water, and very little fugar;
lirne juice, fyrup of lemons, and currant jelly
Ihould moderately enter into every part of the
patient's diet *, avoid all fait, fpices, fpirituous
liquors or generous wines ; a gentle purge of
glauber fait, with a few grains oikermes mineral^
and fome drops ot oil of mint is generally given
pn the firft appearaice of the difeafe; the effefts
of this are forwarded by frequent draughts of
warm chicken broth. During the operation of
this, avoid all acids : bleeding (efpecially if the
jiifeafc makes a violent attack, and the patient is
of a plethoric habit) is indifpenfably neceffary,
the patient ought by all means to avoid motion,
and notwithftanding the above caution of admitr
( m )
ing aif in the room, keep himfelf Covered, and be
careful not to throw his bed cloths a-fide.
If the fymptoms abate after the above mixture,
emetics are commonly fubfcribed ^ if it ftill con-
tinues, particularly if attended with delirium, le-
thargic fymptoms^ of their reverfe, blifters are
applied , and in great watehfulnefs fome laudanum
is ufed ; if worms are fufpe<51:ed, an infufion of
^Indian pink root, (a very common plant here)
leaves, wood, and allj is made ufe of as tea ; but
this plant poffefling a pretty ftrong narcotic qua-
lity, ought to be ufed with caution : in excefTive
heats fome grains oifal nitri are added to the li-
quors adminiftered to the patient^ and as foon
as the fever begins to abate, fome orange, lime oi^
lemon juice, faturated with fait of wormwood, is
given by a fmall tea-cup full every two hours.
The yellow fever being fometimes imported
here, it may be neceffary to defcribe this Proteus
among difeafes j which I have frequently feen, and
which i myfelf have fuffered in Jamaica under
one of its various forms. I chufe to follow the
defcription of Dr. Rouppe, in his de morb. navi-
gant. as quoted by Dr. Lind, becaufe I find no
other author who has done it fo exadtly,- and if i
had not feen his account i fhould not perhaps have
recolleded half the fymtoms he mentions, altho*
i now perfedly remember to have i'<£en that dire
diftemper in every fhape he paints it in. He
feems to fpeak of it as an illnefs to which feamen
only are fubjed in that climate (Curacoa^) ha
may have been induced to think fo by the disor-
der not raging on fliore ; the florid complexion of
moft
*"•■■'■• ""J ' •' MM .miV Ill -m -ipr II ll ^IIIIIMt
f Lonicoera^.
( .234 )
hibft of tlie people inthe ifland fufHciently {hew-
ing it to be a very healthy fpot ; but i find by
his defcription, that it was the real yellow fever
contrafted at St. Eujiatius' ; he calls it the putrid
colliquative or fpotted fever ^ it raged in the
Dtitcli fliif/ of war Princcfs Caroliria, on board of
which this phyfician arrived at Si. Euftatius ori
the ift of Auguft, 1760, oft tlie i ith they failed
from thence for D^r^C(9^, which harbour they en-,
tered ori the i^tH, and then (v/hether he means;
on the paffage, or the very day he arrived, feems
doubtful) twenty people were fick, fome of thefc
had head-aches v/ithout fevers, and fome were
afflicted with a true bilious cholic ; but they
were by an eafy cure again reftored to the enjoy-
ment of their former health : the fcnfe of his ac-
count of the diforder, i take to be as follows, viz.
" In the beginning of our ftay in the ille of
'* Curacoa, as before mentioned, the difeafe^
" which. occurred, moft frequently were head-
*' aches arid bilious cholics, which were foori
" cured ; this changed into true choleric com-
" plaints, gradually increafmg with pain- much
", more dangerous than the former, wonderfully
" tormenting the patients : the diforder begun
"• with a Very great burning heat about the^^-
'- cordia^ (fides of the upper part of the belly) |
•" griping ftools, great anxiety and uneafmefs;*
*' thefe were followed by bilious Hools and vo-
*• mitings, with great lofs of ftrength, mariy of
** them being bedewed with abundance of cold
.**^fweat-, if this continued, efpecially if a fever
*' came on, (which was the manner in which it
*' leized fome with a high pulfe, which continued
"in moft about ten" hours,) then the lips began
" to
( 235 )
*' to fwell. and a ghaftly palenefs feized the face ;
*' afterwards, the fever abating, thej' vomited
*' abundance of dark coloured blood ; at this pe-
*' riod they generally died, or within a few hours
" after the appearance of thefe fymptoms. Thofe
*' who voided the above named and fome blacker
" matter by ftool, emitted a terrible ofFenfive
" fmell ; but fome of thefe were with difficulty
" cured •, in the fame manner it happened to
" thofe, who fuffering of the fever, had, how-
" ever no evacuation ; others were only feized
" with a common bilious fever, and as much as
" i could judge, the major part of thofe were
" young men, or middle aged, robuft, and be-
" fore licknefs the brifkeft and moft cheerful ;
" they had a heat about the prcscordium, they vo-
'* mited bile, or were making attempts to vomit
" and had an unqlienchable thirft •, fome of thefe
" frequently found themfelves cold, and by turns
" heats would feize them ; then fucceeded a hot
" itching of the whole body, with a high, full,
" and quick pulfe ; the tongue was yellowilh or
" whitifh- often encompalTed with a green border
*' on the edges, and always wet or moift.
" The difeafe continued in fome to the fecond,
" in others to the third day •, then the heat would
" abate of itfelf, and the natural pulfe returned
" fuddenly or unawares, which by little and little
" would fink, and at length become fmall and
" tremulous, in fome there appeared petechics
" about the breaft, arms, and infide of the thighs;
" in others, large livid fpots appeared ; the
" ftrength of fome was by all this fo exceedingly
" exhaufted, that on the leaft motion, the patient
" w,ould fwoon J befides an abundant fweat would
^ g arife
( 230 ;
" arife on the whole body; the patient moreover
" would be anxious, fretful; unealy, llightly de-
" lirious, very inattentive, valuing nothing, com-
" plaining of nothing,,, eluding queftions, and yet
« at the fame time almoft always anfwenng per-
" tinently to them •, in fome, upon the declining
«^« of the pulfe, a fiery heat would arife about the
" ftomach, the lips fwelling a little, the face be-
<-' coming ghaftly, Ihortly after they vomited dif-
" coloured matter, and at length died -, others
« would be confumed by heat and griping ftools,
" and djfcharged corrupt, ftinking, and almoft
*' black blood by ftocl ; fome in the third, and
« others in the fourth day, would begin to acquire
<• a yellow tinge in the white of the eye, and on
*'the flcin, whxh was an evil fign; moreover,
*' the tongue would from day to day become
« whiter, and at length tremulous ; they would
" always lay on their backs, thus as the difeafe
*' increafed, fometimes on the fecond, third, or at
« lateft on the fourth day, an eafy, calm death
'• would follow.
" Blood drawn from the veins, in the heat of
" the fever-, was bright red: it concreted and fepa-
" rated a yellow /m/^;?,juft as in Europe. Thofe,
" who by meer dint of ftrength refilled the dif-
" eafe, and reached the fifth or feventh day,
« would have the whole body almofl covered with
" fmall boils, or little painful red pimples, very
" difficult to be brought to a fuppuration, re-
« fembling fmall pox of the confluent kind.
" At length, moft of the difeafed, particularly
« thofe who had reached beyond thirty years of
« ao-e, and were of a bad habit of body, when
'' thev were feized with the diforder were over-
^ " whelmed
( 257 )
" whelmed with pain and heat about the flomach,'
" with a continual retching, but yet bringing up
"little or nothing; in fome the pulfe in-
" creafed for fome hours, and again appeared in
" a fhort time to be in its natural ftate; it became
" low, the fkin poffefied its natural heat, the
" tongue was moift and white ; on the firfl dajr
" of the da'cafe a copious fweat would break out
*' over the whole body, but no fpots appeared,
" thofe whofe fweat was Iktleor none, had copious
" black and very fcetid difchargcs, were troubled
" with gripings, and would often faint away fiid-
" denly ; when the evacuations were trifling,
" ceafed, or otherways remarkably leffened, and
" but little fweat pervaded ; then the patients
" fufFercd greatly and were very reftlefs ; on the
" contrary, if it broke forth plentifully, they'
" found themfelves much better.
" Laftly, in all its ftages from beginning to
" end they were afflidted with confcantwatchings.
" A worthy lad about eighteen years old, who
" found himfelf well in the morning, early, was,
" about lo o'clock of the fame morning taken
" with a head ach, and other feverifli fymptoms,
"he had a high full and quick pulfe, he obfti-
" nately refufed being blooded : the fecond day
I " at evening he voided abundance of dark difco-
** loured blood by vomit, and the third he died.
" Another of about fixteen was well in the even-
*' ing, but we found him next morning ill, and
" utterly deprived of all fenfe, i examined his
" body, which was fwelled and overfpread with
" livid fpots, his pulfe almoft entirely gone ;
" fome black blood of a fweetifh tafte flowed from
■' his left ear and out of his noflirils, which con-
" tinued
( 2^8 )
" tinued to ooze out fome hours after his difeafc,
*' the corpfe in a Ihort time became wholly dif-
*' coloured and livid, emitting a very difagreeablc
« fmell."
The French call this diforder mdde Sianr^^u^-
pofing it originally imported from thence into
the iflands •, the Spaniards vomito preio^ or black
vomit; the 'Dwtch geelekoerts^ which laft conveys
the fame idea as the Englifh yellow fever.
In general, when fevers are violent, the prac-
tice which prevails at prefent, is to have recourfe
to antimonial medicines, and as foon as a remif.
fion is brought abouf. the bark is adminiflered
in large dofes.
Intermittents are endemial in all low fituations^
thus we fee in all the provinces to the fouthward,
particular places remarkable for a continuance
of this diforder in them, fuch as more efpecially
Jackfonburg, in South-Carolina, Savannah, in
Georgia, Rolles-Town, and moft of the fettle-
ments on St. John's, in Eaft-Florida., at Campbell-
town, near the mouth 'of the Efcambe and at
Mobile in Weft-Florida; this difeafe attacks
people much in the fame form as the conti-
nued fever, the firft fit frequently lafting three
days without intermiflion ; phyficians treat it
nearly in the fame manner as the laft, but
i have obferved, that they are very averfe to
taking blood from a patient afflided with this
diforder, faying, that bleeding is a fure way to
prolong the difeafe, although fometimes a fmall
matter of blood is taken from people of a very
grofs habit of body, when the returning fits
feemed to continue longer in point of time than at
the firft, the fame diet is obferved as in the con^
tinued
( 239 )
tinued fever, except when the patient is verjl
weak, when ftrong broths well feparated from
the fat are frequently given ; if delirious, or co-
matofe fymptoms with pains in the back, &C5
make their appearance, cooling medicines are
ufed, during the paroxyfms, Do6lor James's
powder or other antimonials, and on intermiflion
the bark in copious dofes is adminiflered with
fuccefs, and in obftinate head-aches recourfe is
had to blifters.
This IS a very tedious difeafe, and whoever is
afflided v/ith it Ihould not too foon judge him-
ielf cured, but continue taking a bitter infufion,
compofed of the bark of the root of the magnolia
major (which the French on the Mifliflippi fub-
ftitute in lieu of Jefuit's bark) with Virginia
heart, fnake-root, rue, [al abfynth : and pink
root, in good Madeira or Lifbon wine.
People in general, fuppofe them even obliged
to remain on the fickly fpot during the fatal fea-
fon, which is autumn, may by care, in a great
meafure fhun this tedious illnefs, fuch as living
on a more generous diet, efpecially animal food
high feafoned, and a moderate flafs of wine ;
avoiding a too great expofure tu :he then fre-
quent fudden changes of air. They ought to
ufe the cold bath often, wear garlic and cam-
phire in the pockets, not expofe themfelves to
rain, and above all keep warm and dry feet, and
if got wet by rain not to change their clothes too
fuddenly, never go out of a morning fading, but
before you go to work, bufmefs, &c. eat a
piece of bread, and drink a glafs of the bitter in-
lufion ; avoid the night air, and keep fome fire
in the houfe, particularly in the mornings and
evenings
( 240 )
cven'ngs to rarify the damp air in the rooms, ef-
pccially in the bed rooms which ought never to
be on a lower floor, and ihould be in the eafiern
parts of the building expoted to the morning fun:
by obferving thefe rules the conftitution of the
•hu nan body will be lefs difpofed to receive the
imprcflions of a bad air.
An excellent thing to be given the negroes on
a plan ca ion before they go to work, is a wine
glafo full of the above bitter ingredients, and gar-
lic infufed in rum •, and they (liquid be encouraged
to chew and fmoke tobacco.
When a perfon is feized with a fit of the ague,
he ought by no means to delay going to bed,
and dnnk a draught of lime j.:-ce, and powder of
chalk, while it is fermenting in the glafs •, this
will bring on a fv/eat, and lliortcn the fit, or in
the hot fit ufs fome opiate if the patic^it is not
d.'lirious, this ought to be done as often as the
paroxyfms return.
The nervous fever, likewife called the flow
fever, is known by a fmail, quick and low pulfe,
and by not aiTedting the patient with fuch violent
heats as the otliers fevers, but with greater op-
preflion about the -prcecordium ; it does not make
them fo thirfty ; the tongue is at iirft unufually
mo'ft, and looks white, though at laft it becomes
dry, and looks brown or inflamed ; continue
heats are felt in the palms of the hands, heats and
chills return alternately very quick, a copious
clammy weakening fweat, excefTive lownefs of
fpirits, reftlcfsnefs, being drowfy without power
of fleeping, pain and giddinefs of the head, ring-
ing in the ears, and if it lafts long, the tendons are,
Qtten affeded v/ith a fort of cramp ; deafnefs,
deliriumsj
C 241 ;
deliriums, continual lethargic fits; fnfenfibility
j and flupor are the conftant attendants of this dif-
j order v/hen in its laft flages.
I This is a moft treacherous diforder, and by>
affeding the fufterer v/ith only flight fvmptoms
; of wearinefs and weaknefs, attended with frequent
yawnings and ftretchings, a flight giddinefs and '
lofs of appetite, and a great heat in the forehead,
makes people neglect an early application to the
phyfican, and thus they endanger themfelves
much, though in people of a robuft conft:itution
who are much expofed to the fi.n, it will often
appear for the firft day or two with violent fymp-
toms ; this fever will lafl: fometimes for twenty
days or more without any apparent abatement';
it generally attacks people who have been expofed
to unufual fatigue, or fuch as are naturally of a
weak conftitntion. Vomits are the remedy to
' which recourfe is mofl: ufually had in this diforder.
Phyficians lleadily, and almoft totally avoid
bleeding and purging, till after a free ufe of the
Ipecacuana^ and even then their cathartic prefcrip-
tions are rarely any other than manna and falts,
and after the gentle purges obtained by this me-
thod, they order a free ufe of rich chicken broth,
and the above defcribed juice of lemons faturated
^w'lxh fal ahfynth : this they generally continue un,
til the difeafe changes into an intermittent fever,
and then treat it in the manner laft menticnedj
: frequently alfo applying blillers.
This fever more particularly than any other
diforder, bears hardeft on the patient towards fun-
fet. The diet comm.only prefcribed is fago,
chicken broth and panado, v^^ith feme fmall miat-
tcr of wine and loaf fugar in the firft and laft;;
infufions
(242 )
infufions of fage and baum, together with wine
whey, are the drink moflly thought prooer
during the continuance of this diforder.
The ufe of bark is generally blamed as prb-
dudtive of dropfy; jaundice, the ague cake,* and
other inveterate chronical diforders, but it is cer-
tain that the bark is blamclefs ; it is the fault of
the phyficians, who too late and with too much
caution ufe this bleffed remedy, which feems as
purpofely defigned by Providence to relieve us in
thole tedious diforders -, or it is that of the patient
himfelf, who, prejudiced againft this excellent re-
medy, refuses to take it till it is too late, and
thereby brings upon himfelf the above difeafes,
which ar^ confequences of the fevers, not of this
great fpecific.
The ;ibove mentioned fevers and unufual hard-
fhips in travelling, &c. as well as excefies at
plentiful tables full of variety, often bring on a
levere bloody flux efpecially in autumn, and if.
this makes its appearance with hard dry and
bloody ftools, the difeafe is dangerous ; brifk
purges and clyfters of Caftile foap, and fomiC of
the hot feeds are ufed to expell thefe ; when the
defired end is obtained, gentle emetics are called
in i i have known people find great relief from a
decoftion of logwood and pomgranate^feins,';
others again it would not help in the leaft ;/
a new honey comb inclofed in an apple fcooped
out, and then roafted before the fire, has often
proved a fpeedy and very efi^edual remedy ;
calcined
* A hardnefsin the region of the fpleen, one of the con-
fequences of long continued fevers, and by the Dutch Cre-
oles diilinguillied by this name, they call it in their own lan-
guage koek in ds buyck, or limply ds koek.
.( 243 )
calcined hartfhorn, a nauleous medicine, is non-
fenfe ; bark offumach is a good medicine, but
there being a dangerous kind, it ought to be ga-
thered by a fkilful hand ; the bark of the liqui-
dambar ftyraciflua ; aceris folio mentioned in page
20, together with the gum exuding from the fame
tree, is generally found efficacious ; a wine glafs
full of the juice of lemons mixed with fome com-
mon fait has often proved a moft excellent, fafe,
and general fpecific; the frequent chewing of
cinnamon and camomile flowers, efpecially when
a weak ftomach vexes the patient, has a noble
efFe<5t; avoid all' vegetable food except rice,
eat roafted rather than boiled flelh ; faked beef
need not to be avoided •, ufe often veal, jellies
and falop ; ufe a great deal of muftard j i know
by the experience of many as well as my own,
that Dr. Barry's obfervation of vegetables not
being fo eafily aflimilated as animal food, is in
the ftrifteft fenfe univerfally true, and in an ob-
ilinate continuance of this diforder, vegetables
even our common wheaten bread are not at all
digefted, but moft generally pafs through the
body unaltered. When this difeafe changes into
a chronic habitual flux, it will be neceflary to ufe
pills of equal parts of rhubarb and ipecacuana^
mixed With fome liquid opiate, and ufe weak
lime water for common drink : if this does not
prove a fpecific, let the patient be removed to
fome other clime, for no remedy will affedt that
diforder in the fame climate, where it was origi-
nally contracted, claret or port ought to be their
conftant drink in this difeafe, and fpirituous li-
quors ought by all means to be avoided ; rum,
a cuffed bane of health and of focietyj is too often
H h end
( 244 )
and indifcriminately applied to every difeafe as
an imiverfal arcawn.
The cholera morbus is likewife a confequence of
intemperate meals, and when it is not occafioned
by any food peculiarly repugnant to the ftomach
it often proves fatal.
Debauch of every kind, particularly unfeafon-
able fitting up, is moft frequently produdive of
fome of the moft dreadful diforders, and exceffive
pafllons of the mind fometimes produce the fame
effeds.
Excefs in venery is generally produdive of
the moft violent and obftinate diforders, princi-
pally inflammatory fevers, and obftinate fluxes.
There is a difeafe which the French call La
ffyianofe, which affeds people in the weftern
parts of Florida, and will attack them with pro-
digious violence upon being wounded even in the
llighteft manner : if during the hot months a
fplinter be run into the flefh, the patients are at-
tacked with violent contorfive fpafms, and gene-
rally die in about eighteen or twenty hours.
I never faw any perfon afilided with this dread-
ful diforder, but from the fimilarity of the name
with the latin 1'eianus, and from my being told,
that opium and camphire are much ufed to pro-
cure relief, I take it to be the locked jaw, with
which I faw a young man die at Mobile, Mr.
Lind* recommends copious external applications
of opium, and the cold bath ; and gives fome
imperfed account of mercurial ointment having
lately proved an efficacious remedy -, the hint
was perhaps neceflTary to be inferted here.
* Hot Climates, fecond edition, page 285 — 286.
( 245 )
Angina Suffocaiiva, or the putrid fore-throaty
ibmetimes appears here, this is a contagious di-
ftemper, .and rages in America nfioftly among the
youth ; it generally begins with a flow fever at-^
tended with great laflitude and a low pulfe -, this
is fucceeded by a fore throat with white fpots near
iiiQ uvula, and if it be not immediately taken
notice of, the patient foon becomes pad hopes,
and generally dies within 24 hours after the firft
fevere attack of the fever ; the phyficians in Ca-
rolina and Georgia prefcribe firft mercurial
purges, and order a gargle of borax, dragon's
blood and Armenian bole in vinegar and honey ;
and the throat is anointed frequently by help of a
feather, with a mixture of balfam of fulphur,
tindure of myrh, honey, loaf fugar, and yolk of
eggs ; the principal part of the cure is to attend
the difeafe early, the lead negledt being dangerous.
The dry belly-ach is a very painful and torment-
ing diforder, though rarely fatal ; it is occafioned
by cold damp lodgings, and being expofed to the
night air ; but moft frequently in all climates by
an exceflive ufe of the vegetable acid juices,
which are all extremely aftringent in their nature :
and when this diforder proceeds from too liberal
an ufe of punch, rheumatic pains and paralytic
affedtions of the nerves are its conftant confe-
quences and attendants, with lofs of the proper
ufe of limbs: (often for life) the molV ufual
fymptoms are the vomiting of bile, with the
moft obftinate coftive habit imaginable; and
when ftools are procured, the excrements are
excelTive hard, and in round balls like horfe
dung : all this is attended with the moft excruci-
ating pain in the bowels, and a clammy fweaf
the
(246 ) ^
the method of cure is by adminiftering emetics
of the antimonial kind, which often alfo procure
a ftool; this is the only thing that can relieve
the poor fufferers •, the warm fteam of hot herb
baths, clyfters of the tin5f. Thebaic, in luke warm
milk, and emollient plaifters in which opium
enters, applied to the ftomach and belly ; bitter
purging falts and manna, and infufions of fena
leaves, after the middle vein is fiiript cut of
them; in the fevere attacks of the pain, opiates
are ufed, and too often that curfed arcanam of
the vulgar among the Englifh ; I mean rum and
other diftilled fpirits, which in this diforder too
often prove fatal poifons; the oil of Palmo'
Chrijii, by three or four fpoonfuls has fometimes
proved effedlual ; oil of almonds and of olives,
have been given with fuccefs ; after all medicines
liad failed, i once applied to a mulato woman,
who was a noted empyric in the iiland of Curacoa,
where i was attacked by this diftemper : ihe or-
dered a clyfter of fweet milk, tobacco and brown
fugar, which gave fome (light relief, but after a
while the painful fymptoms of the difeafe feemed
to be as excruciating as ever; fhe then gathered
fome handfuls of the leaves of a fhrub which is
there called IVild Carpal •,* thefe ihe boiled like
fpinnage, and made them into feven or eight
balls of the fize of walnuts, put them in a
J)late, and poured oil olive on them, and a little
pepper; this kind of falad Ihe made me eat with
a piece of bread, when i obferved to her, that
fhe
* Carpat, is the Dutch name of Palma Chrijii; I have
long in vain tried to find the fhrub, from which thefe leaves
were taken ; all i know of them is, they are Lanceolate^ pf
a lucid green, and boil very tender.
( 247_ ;
ihe ought to have added vinegar to have made a
perfeft fallad; Ihe anfwered, that vinegar in mv
cafe was poifon; in half an hour after the ufe of
this mefs, a ftool (the firft in tv/enty-three days)
was procured, which was followed by five or fix
more that very afternoon ^ and fhe then gave me
for feme days an intenfely bitter mixture, in
which i perceived thejuice of alces predominant^
but could not learn the compofition. This kept
me in la, lax habit of body, and in about fourteen
days i was enabled to purfue my ordinary avoca-
tions; camphire and opium enter into all the
purgative prefcriptions i have feen ordered in this
difeafe, by the phyficians of the fouth.
There is an inftantaneous fatal diforder which
the French call tin coup de Soleil^ i. e. literally, a
ftroke of the fun -, of this i remember one inftance
during my ftay in Weft-Florida, when it killed
a child of about twelve years old on the fpot
between the hours of eleven and twelve in the
forenoon, the time, as i am informed, in which
it ahvays takes place •, by inftantly applying cold
water to the crown of the head, i am told, its
fatality is prevented ; likewife by cupping the
crown of the head : what its fymptoms are, i
have not feen, but by the defcriptions, i take it
to be a fever, which lb violently attacks the pa-
tient, that it caufesinftant deaths This diforderoc-
curs very feldom, and as it is fovcry eafily guarded
againft, perfons who are attacked by it, are in a
great meafbre blameable for their own misfor-
tune, particularly if they knov/ the country, the
French, one and all, put a fingle piece of clean
writing paper between their hat and head during
the hot months, to ward off the attacks of the
coup d$ Sokil Thefe
( 243 ;
Thefe are the difeafes, which occur during the
hot feafons •, there is likewife a fever, in which
the patient is continually affected with defiuxions
of the head: this appears in the late winter
months, and during a wet fpring; it is called a
Catarrhal Fever : this difeafe is not frequent, but
when it appears, it is generally treated like other
fevers, except that bleeding is more freely ufed.
The pleurify alfo makes its appearance fome-
times in winter. Moderate or copious bleedings
from the arm according to the degrees of violence
of its attacks are immediately ufed : if loofenefs
and gripes attend the pain, blood is taken away
often, and in fmall quantities ; the patient is kept
moderately warm, and on no account fuffered to
uncover; the firft medecine is commonly a cool-
ing purge ; gentle fudorifics are likewife admi-
nillered ; frequent hot baths for the feet are alfo
prefcribed, but very cautioufly applied for fear
of his catching cold. After the operation of
purges and fudorifics, gentle antimonials are ufed,
and a light eafy digefted diet, with infufions of
hyflbp, fage, or baum, follow in courfe; like-
wife fwallowing of living wood-lice : and in
cafe of coftive fymptoms, clyfters are ufed; on
a continuance of the pain in the fide, a mode-
rate blifter or drawing plaifter is put to the part;
— much coughing, which caufes a watchtulnefs,
is removed by opiates : in feverifh fymptoms the
difeafe is treated as the other fevers; fpirituous
liquors are to be avoided by all means.
During fome winters, a Peripneumony alfo vifits
a few people here; the method of cure is the
fame as for the pleurify : it is faid to be more
dangerous than the pleurify, particularly if co.
piou§
( 249 )
pious bleeding is not made ufe o^ as foon as the
patient is affefted* In this diforder there is ge-
nerally a freer accefs of air allowed than in the
laft, and-the patient kept almoft in a fitting po-
llure i it is faid that the fteams of warm water
drawn into the lungs in this difeafe, is a powerful
help.
A compound of the two laft diforders, called
the PleurO'peripneumony^ is likewife fometimes
heard of, and is treated as the laft.
In Georgia i faw one or two inftances of a dif-
order among blacks, to which the people give
the odd riame of the pleurify of the temple, of
the forehead, of the eye, and fo on ; i am told
they have a pleurify for every part of the head.
It is violently acute, and, as i am informed,
proves fometimes fatal in ten or twelve hours
time; if immediately on its attack, a quantity
of blood is not dr^wn from the arm, for the reft
this difeafe is treated like a pleurify.
The chronic difeafes are dropfies, confump-
tions, hemorrhoidal and habitual fluxes, relaxed
and bilious habits of body, ruptures, worm-
fevers, and among blacks the leprofy, elephan-
tiafis and body yaws ; which laft in Carolina is
calleid the lame diftemper; the firft five of thefe
are often beft removed by a change of air, as
the moft efficacious medicines often prove of no
ufe againft the obftinacy of the diforders in the
climate where they firft originated.
The dropfy moft frequently feizes a patient
after an obftinate intermitting fever, where the
ufe of the bark has been too long delayed : in
this diforder the ordinary prefcriptions in thefe
countries is fyrup of fquiils, and the common
diuretic
( 250 )
diuretic fait, \yizh. thefe the patient is confined to
dry food, andi'romfpirituous liqurs; fuch vege-
tables as turnips, radiHies, &c. he is allowed to
indulge in : Dr. Lind fays, that exciting a flight
falivation, may be of help in a tolerable found
conftitution, perhaps none of the chronic dif-
eafes are more relieved by change of climate than
an obftinate dropfy. A. ccnfumptive habit
of body, particularly v/here the cough is very
obftinate and frequent, and when bilious ftools,
with a great hardnefs of the lower belly affedt
the patient, or when a continual fever emaciates
the poor fufferer, he is in a dangerous way, and
a remove to colder climates is hardly advifeable •,
i have known fuch people relieved by making
frequent Ihort voyages to fea in moderate cli-
mates ; but unlefs proper remedies are alfo made
ufe of during thefe voyages, the fever returns
almoft direftly on relanding^ frequently after
one or two of thefe voyages the patient feels him-
felf better •, if he then retires to a milk diet, and
freely indulges himfelf in fruits, utterly avoiding
all manner of drugs cr medicines, he may find
relief, and even a return of conftitution •, fre-
quent dofes of flour of brimftone, and cooling
the water he drinks with fal nitre, are of ufe
during this courfe: likewife the patient ought
with the greateft care to avoid exercife^ the ftiiier
he keeps himfelf the more hopes of recovery
there is. The fever which attends this diforder
is of fuch a nature, that here the ufe of the bark
muft be carefully fnunned, as it has been during
long pradice, and by frequent experiments of
very able phyncians, found to be a furc poifon
in this, diforder. The Soaniards v/ear the neft of
the
... ( ^51. ) ...
;Iie great ti"aveHingfpider fowed in a rag aboiit
'tlieir necks as,a.rure vray to affuage a hedick
. fever, and i think with great fuccefs : it is a
Inatter of Turpri^e to fee how perhaps a thoufand
Mmmakul^ which are iti perfect life in oneof thsfe
hefts, at the time of its iDeing^put round the par-
tient's neck',, will in the courfe of abo^iit, thirty
hours be perfedly pulverized by meer dint of tlie
"tot of. the body, which thefe young Spiders, feem
in a, peculiar rnannSr to attrad. In hardnefs of
the beily in tliis diforder moft of the Creoles ufe
hard and fi-equent rubbing' it with a warm hand
dipt in oil or ho^S-.iard, ^cre bears oil being- fo
v-cry fubtii and penetrating, would it not be pre-
fibrable in rubbing?-. , ,,
The b'cemcrrhoidal fl^ux is very frequent here,
and was it not (o very troubkfome an. attendant.
It would be looked upon' as a, beneficial, event.
I'erfons who are attacked^ By it are generally
certain of not falling into\ tl)e more dangerous
drfeafes occa^oned by obilruftioms of the Vifcera
in hot cliiTiates"i,i,thegreateft. danger attending it
is that of the patient's falling into, an habitual
flux, .which is a moft tedious , and" troublefome
difeaf^, .and that although the patient has no other
complaint but the frequent necefTity of going to
flool and is but leldorn troubled with an involun-
tary expulfion of the/^rrij^tliis di(eafe is almoft
always a Ho v/ though fiire harbinger of death by.
Its continuance ior years, draining to the very
I'aft dropi of moifture from, the fufferer,'wlio being
left a meer flceleton, .is as it were carried off in
the manner of ah expiring candle-lliufF; yet thole
perfons, who have been opened after death have
been found' with all the inward parts perfectly
I i found
( 252 )
found, and thus the faculty is left in the dark
without any way to account for this diforder;
I have heard of people of a very rohuft conftitu-
tion with whom it has continued above twenty
■years; no difeafe is fo frequent; it almoft. always
attacks people who have fuffered much from
frequent ficknefs or fevere fatigue; anditsobfti-
nacy is fuch, that it will yield to no remedy
whatever in the climate where it originated ; i
have myfelf been attacked by it firft n the pro-
vince of Georgia, in confequence of the great
fatigue i underwent in my frequent long and
wearifome journies by land; no aftringent of any
kind, not even the long ufe of rhubarb and ipe-
cacuanha was of any the leaft fervice to me ; vain
was every medicine againft this obftinate malady ;
opium was recommended to me as a fpecific ;
this i took at length in incredible dofes but the
relief was only momentary ; after the fhort re-
|>rieve obtained hereby it returned with tenfold
violence and obftinacy : if then i was unhappy
enough to ufe opium during this attack it was of
no ufe whatever, but obliged me for the next
time to feek refpite from a double dofe, the cold
bath i found of fome flight benefit and when i was
at the proper feafon in any part of Florida, where
the coco-plumb * grew in abundance, by freely
eating this wholefome fruit i was relieved for that '
feafon, and no fooner was i obliged to abandon
this excellent remedy, but the difeafe again pre-
vailed. Thus was i harrafled for about eight years
when i changed climates by coming to New-
York; here likev/ife all medical prefcriptions
failed.
Chryfo Calamts.
. ( ^ 253 )
failed, till at length i found that a deco£ilon of
the bark of 5^;;w-i^«^^ and 1'erra japonka'm the
proportion of half an ounce of each to fix pounds
of water being boiled down to one fixth, was an •.
effeAual medicine after the cliange of climate,
which lafi alone mud not be relied on : one q.uarc .
of the above deco6lion in the quantity of a wine-
glafs fu 1 tak^n morning and evening rured^me-,
but relapfing again after about three month si got
another quart, with the two firft glaffes of which .
i took a fmall pill of crude opium, and by two .
more glaffes. full i found myfclf again reftored to •
my natural habit of body.
An entire relaxation of the fblids, and a.bilious: ,
habit of body is another common affli(5tion. o£-
thofe, who have fuffered much: by the difeafes of
i£)t climates J the conftitution is in fuch people
fo decayed, that it feems as if every moment
v/ould be that of diiTolution: the ftomach is weak,
their complexion is nearly that of a fufferer by
the jaundice, and hardly any food efpecially greens
and falads are found digeilible-, if the dry belly-
ach has been their frequent attendant a paralytic
contradion of the limbs is the final confequence .
of that malady : others again willfrequently vomit ,
clear bile and be very eoftive having the al^omeii-
exceeding hard-, for all thefe complaints there is .
no better cure than a change of climate, and when
the patient begins to feel any benefit from the
difference of air while at fea, i would recomm.end
a plentiful and conftant ufe of chamoemile
flowers, chewing . them in the fame manner as
people do tobacco •, this, however difagreeable to.
moft palates at firft, becomes in time as agreeable
to the mouth as it is grateful to the ftomach.
li 2 The
V ^:n A ■IF'
The ufe of Elixir Vitrioli in the quanjtity of fif{;eQ5 ,
or twenty drops taken every morning-'fafting and
again an- hour before dinner •, and the moderate
life of a glafs of generous wine is not amifs to
fach fufiferers •- animal food, efpecially mutton,
is the mofrliiitable diet, and in cafe of an obfti-
nate coftivenefs itfe xhc Elixir Aloes often at night
or in the morning; the cold bath, efpecially of
fait water, is very beneficial to fuch {i.ifferers.
Ruptures are pretty much complained of on
the baftks of Miffiffippi -, i have obferved likewife
that they are a good deal frequent in Georgia and
in Carolina: what can- be the caufe of a diforder
of this kind being frequent 'i know not, but -i-
find in a pamphlet which gives a'fuperficial de-
fcription of South-Carolina the fallowing way to
account for it, ■" the obftrutled i')}?^r^ 'being
*'-fv/eJled beyond their natural fize,' .the inteftmes~
*' sre too much confined, . and- by nature of the
*' aliment and bad digeftion being frequently dif-
*' tended v/ith wind, it is not to be v/ondered at,
^' that thoy often pafs through the. rings of the
*' abdominaimufcles."
The Worm ,fevi:r ^vhich is cornmon through ■■
all America, •"efpecially from Peiinfylvania ibuth-
wards, is 'not. fo common here as 'in Carolina,
Georgia, &c. the-reafon, i take to be becaufe the •
fw^eet potatoe is not'fo iiniverfally ufed for food-
here as elfewhere ; :'diildren fufier niofl with it;
though it fometimes afi'e^fls people of all ages.
When a fever obftinately v/ithflands all medicines
it may almoft be depended upon, that this obfti-
nacy proceeds from worms; the ftincking weed,
v/hich is known by the name of Jerufalem Oak,
and in thofe provinces is the moll emcacicus Ver-
mifuge,
-^ifuge,'2nd the fafeft medicine efpeciaily for-
"Children ; a Tpoon full of- the exprefied juice cf*
the whole plant taken on an empty ftomach is
found to be a fovereign antidote; the Lonicccra' i
have already mentioned as to its qualities-, if the.
vwrmsare fiifpefted to be lodged in the ni^uni,'.
clyflers of a decqdioft ©f^tanfey, oriions, garlick,
rue, worm wood, and Rrdi4ike in' m\\\i are of
good effeiEt -, a plaiiler of pulverized Aloes^ oil of
rue, or worm-wood, with powder of the bitter ■
^urd and ox-gall applied to the navel is alio cf
good effed: : i would recommend the ufe of animal
food, particularly rich fillvlbups highly feafoned
with garlick or onions, aT-d it will be proper, to
avoid all Jsiifids- of farinaceous vegetables except
wheaten bread: abo\'^ al-l the potatoe and pum.p-
■kin ought to be fiiunned as poifon.
A loathfome dileafe appears fame tim.es among "
the Negroes after fevers acute diforders, efpeciaily
if the patient has 'been obliged to keep his bed
■long, likewife after-a vioUntexercifehas brought
on a furf^it': this- is called the EhphanUafisSxoxn
the fwelling of-the feel; arjd ^?gs; it is m.oft fre-
quently feen .to affecl one leg only ; in the. firft.
ftages of this diforder the patient becomes wretched
tllirough excefllve lallit'-^des v/hich bring on £n
.eiiiaciation of the body, then the corrupted juices,
■fubfide into the leg or legs and feet, thefe fwell, .
the fkin becoming dillended, fhines and fhe.ws.
the diftended' vei4is every where below. the. k^cej-
now the fkin by degrees I'ofes its glofs and becom.es '
Ainequal and "fomethingfcaly, "after this chaps
make their appearance, the glands are flretched
and the fcales are daily enlarged, appearing as.
lisrd and callous, as the hide of an Alligator, not- >
I ' ^ v^'irhilarid'np-
( 256 )
•withflanding which the flighted prick of a pointed -
inftrunient will caiife the blood to exude; this
difeafe affefts neither the appetite nor the digeftive
powers of the body, on the contrary the patient
in this and chearfulnefs of fpirits refembles the
healthieft of men, and the inconvenience of his -
heavy leg only prevents his ability for the more
laborious part of his duty.
No manner of cure has yet been found for this
cruel diforder, but the patients often live to a ver)--
advanced age under the preffure of its yoke, even
when it has been contra6ted in early youth; it is
faid that the amputation of the affeded limbs is
no cure, for the difeafe will immediately attack-
the found leg ; this i find alfo afferted by Hughes
in his Natural Hiftory of Barbados.
I have ^t^n three or four inftances of the dif-
eafe called body yaws (in the Iflands) and in Ca-
rolina the lame diftemper, thiS is faid to proceed,
from hereditary venereal taints •> it appears in can-
cerous corroding fores in the mouth and throat,
and fpreading ulcers together with flelhy protub-
erances chiefly on the face breaft and thighs,
with a fwelling of the flcin and knee-bones, and
commonly corrodes the Cartilages of thenofe, its-
firll fymptoms iliewing themfelves about the
throat and palate, have caufed ignorant people to-
miilake it for the Angina Suffocativa before de-
fcribed : IVIercurial m.edicincs are ufed againft it,
afterwards diet-drinks of China root, nut-grafs,
&c. the fores in the moutii are often to be rubbed
with a feather dipt in fyrup of rofes to an ounce
of which two drops of Sp. Vitr. have been added :
unduous, fait, fpiced meats and fpirituoiis liquors
are abfoiutely to be avoided ; frequent fvveats arc
( 257 J
Alfo prefcribed and a' great care againft catching
cold.
The Leprofy fo called, whether the fame as
'Was the caufe of profcription to the unhappy-
patients under the Mofaic laws i fliall not pretend
to determine ; certain it is, that it is a naufeous,
loathfome and infedlious difeafe fome times fecn
among the blacks -, this appears firft with the lofs
of beard and hair from the eye-brows, fwelling
of the lobes of the ears, the face begins to Ihine
and brown protuberances appear thereon, the lips
and nofe fwell to a m(<nftrous fize, the fingers and
toes will in the end drop off, and the body becomes
at lafl fo ulcerated as to make the poor incurable
patient really a miferable objed of pity.
Having thus larg ly defcribed the climate, foil,
water, general produdions of the earth, the in-*
habitants with their cuftoms, manners and the
difeafes incident to the human race here, i fhali
next proceed to give a topographical defcription
of the country, the general face particularly, and
with this fubje<5t end my firft volume.
The river St. Mary is the northernmoft boundary
of F.aft Florida and by the Spaniards called Rio
Sania' Cecilia, and by the favages ^hlathla ^la-^
kuphka, and is defcribed in page 36; the foil here
is not very fertile, unlefs it be at its very head,
•which reaches up to near the head of flint river,
which laft runs into the river Apahchicola, and
this being the weftern bounds of this province,
we may in the prefent undetermined ftate of thefs
matters regard as the moft natural limits of the
province on the land fide ; from St. Mary's river's
mouth there is a diftance of fourteen miles along
the beach of AnuUa Hland to the mouth of Naffau
river ;
C ^3^ )
river-; this iiland is in general fandy and hiily.^
but has foine- fertile ipots on it capable of line irn-
provemenfs, it.is.about'two.miles through in its
•broadcil parts^ which is the iK)rth end, and tapers
.away till it's fouth.end is fcarce half a milcr acrofs^
here near the fomhead vyas formjerly a .convent
of Nuns and a church dedicated to St. Mary, whofe
;naiTie the iOand bore in the tinie of di'e. Spaniards,
but.'tlierc.were fcarce any traces left. of die buildr
ingsl in , 1 770 •, weflof.its north end jay the Tyger
•iilands, between .which and Amelia,, ihcrc is ii
.tolerable broad pafTage forming a .Convenient
harbour, thefe iHands coj^fiit chieliy, of marlji ancj
pine hammocks^, tlrls paffige conti;iuas througlj
Aradia narrows intoNiaffiu river, and is frequented
.by fuch crafts as exce^ed not four feet draught of
4iwarer. The land on Naflau river is alm(4l all
ivory fertile-, the river originates not?>^povsthirt)^
niil'es from the feav -where it begins in many fmall
rivulets,' which all joining ^very.ibon, by their
Confluence form a .corifiderable large llream navi-r
g^bleforveffels often feet draught up to its forks,,,
this* river formerly called Rio 8fa. Maria^ in niy
opinion has along its-, banks the beft body of land
in Eail Florida near the fea,- and i believe- that
this; will form in time a. pretty opulent, diib-id-
between. this river and Si;^. John's riyx^r the'land is
niiferably barren, as. it is .iikeyvife beuveen Nallail
and St. Mary, thovigh not .in fo wretched a de-
gree; w^e find between the rnQ''Jths of NajTaU and
St. John*s river three ifiands, great and Jitde
Talbot, and fort (3eprge, together in kngth
about. five or fix miles; the Talbot's -iflands, lay
next to the fouth of ^///t"//^, and- thegreateft inner-
moft: this Uft is counte,d fertije, the other is in-
con Hderabie;
tonfiderable; they are hilly as weU as fort George;
the laft has received its name from an intrench-
ment thrown up on it by general Oglethorp during
his fruitlefs expedition againft St. Auguftine.
We are now at the mouth of the river St. John,
already in part defcribed in page 34 and 35 •, this
river called by the Indians Yiacco^ and by the
Spaniards Rio St. Matheo 0 Picolato^ runs from
its mouth fomething above twenty-four miles up
nearly eaft and weft ; at this diftance up the ferry-
is kept: (commonly called the cow-ford from the
multitude of cattle drove through here at the be-
ginning of the fettlement by the Englilh :) juft
above this ferry the river takes a bend and the
diredlion of its courfe becomes parallel to the
ocean ; the general run of its water being from
fouth to north riling at or near the latitude 27 :
and this ferry laying nearly in 30: lo-, near the
latitude 28 : it approaches the fea within a mile,
in fo much, that fome marfh and broken pine-land
only feparatcs them : thus it makes a peninfula
from hence to the above latitude 30: 10. which
peninfula is for the moft part between twenty-five
and twenty miles in breadth. This part of the
country is the chief feat of the prefent improve-
ments, and is for the moft part too barren for
planting ; but excellent for the keeping of cattle
and horfes, as the land chiefly confifts of pine-land
and favannahs of the kind defcribed in page 22 i
the fwamps along the river (although their ap-
pearance from the river deceived the firft advent-
urers,) are for the moft part no more than an
edging along its banks, hardly any where extend-
ing a quarter of a mile deep ; the journal of Mr.
Bartram as publiihed by Dr. Stork^ may give a
K k tolerable
( 26o )
i!oIerabIe idea of the banks of this river, and con-
fequently of the weft part of this penihfula; but
this journal, though a very loofe performance,
and principally defedive where we might expe£fe
it moft compleat, viz. in the botanical articles,
yet fuch as it is, the Dodor who wanted to extol
this province even beyond reafon, has not thought
lit to give it us in its native drefs, but mutilated
and unfairly modelled it to anfwer his own pur-
pofe, which has given another author * a handle
for depreciating this country ftill more below its
value than the Doftor has endeavoured to raife it
above; however all fuch prejudiced writers being
below contempt, let us leave them what they are,
and after obferving once more that the fruitful
fpots are few when compared with the unfruitful
in this tra6l, proceed to give an account of the
eaftern edge of this peninfula viz. the fea coaft
from the mouth ot St. John to the mouth of the
river Ah or Aijahatcha : not far from the entrance
of St. John's is Si. Pablo or St. Paul's creek or
river ; on it are fome fruitful fpots about twelve
miles fouth of the great river -, Sahlo river ap-
proaches the head of St. Mark's or the North
river, at whofe head are the plains of Biego very
proper for the breeding of cattl^. This river St,
Mark falls into the harbour of Auguftine about
two miles to the northward of the fort, and but
a little way within the bar : to which bar from the
general's mount at the entrance of St. John's is a
meafured diftance of 36 miles. Between the north
river and the fea is a very narrow flip of fand-hills
and other almoft ufelefs ground ; the bar of this
harbour
* Prefent State of Great Britain and North America,
( 261 )
harbour is a perpetual obftrudion to St. Au-
guftine*s becoming a place of any great trade,
and alone is fecurity enough againft enemies ; fa
that i fee but little occafion for fo much tortifica-
tion as the Spaniards had here, efpecially as a
little look out called Moffa at a fmall diftancc
north of the town, proved fufficient to repel general
Oglethorpe with the moft formidable armament
ever intended againft AugUftine -, however there
was much more propriety in the Spaniards having
a fort in the modern tafte of military architedure
of a regular quadrangular form, with four baftions,
a wide ditch, a cover'd way, a glacis, a ravelin
to defend the gate, places of arms and bomb-
proofs with a cafemating all round &c. &c. for
a defence againft the favages, than there was in
raifing fuch ftupendous piles of building as the
new barracks by the Englifh, which are large
enough to contain five regiments, when it is a
matter of great doubt whether there v/ill ever be
a neceflity to keep one whole regiment here; to
mend this matter the great barrack was built with
materials brought to Auguftine from New York,
far inferior in value to thofe found on the fpot ;
yet the freight alone amounted to more than their
value when landed ; fo that people can hardly
help thiniijrtg'that the contrivers of all this having
a fum of money to throw away, found a neceffity*
to fill fome parafite' pockets, and judged the beft
method for doing this was to make contradors o£
the folks in view, as fifty men befides the inha-
bitants would defend this fort againft the united
bands of all the favages here ; as a conftant fupply
of provifions can come by water, and no formid-
able foreign force can ever be reafonably expeded
( 262 )
to come here, it makes us almoft believe that all
this fhew is in vain, or at mod, that the Englifli
were fo much in dread of mufketos, that they
thought a large army requifite to drive off thefe
formidable foes. To be ferious, this fort and
barracks add not a little to the beauty of the
profped, but mod good men will think with me
that the money fpent on this ufelefs parade would
have been better laid out on roads and ferries
through the province, or if it muft be in forts^
why not at Penfacola ? where there is a necefTity
to have a powerful force, and where the bar will
admit a fixty gun-fhip : but i had almoft forgot
that the afts of Affembly there would have de-
feated the fanguine cxpedations of Meflrs. con-
traftors.
The town has by all writers till Dr. Stork's
time been faid to lay at the foot of a hill -, fo far
from truth is this, that it is almoft furrounded by
water, and the remains of the line drawn from
the harbour to St. Sebaftian's creek, a quarter of
a mile to the north of the fort, in which line
ftands a fortified gate called the barrier gate, is.
the only rifmg ground near it; this line had a
ditch, and its fortification was pretty regular ;
about a mile and a half beyond this are the re-
mains of another fortified line, which had a kind
of look out or advanced guard of ftoccadoes at
its weftern extremity on St. Sebaftian's creek ; and
fort Mofia at its eaft end; befides thefe the town
has been fortified with a flight but regular line of
circumvallation and a ditch The town is half
a mile in length and its fouthern line had two
baftjons of ftone, one of which (if not both) are
l^roken down, and t|)e materials ufed for the
buildino
( 263 )
building of the foundation of the barracks ; the
ditch and parapet are planted with a fpecies of
agave, which by its points is well fitted to keep
cattle out, and with that intention was ufed by
the Spaniards for fences. Dr. Stork h£s raifcd
this fence into a fortification againft the favages
and magnified it into Chevaux de frize. The town
is very ill built, the ftreets being all except one
crooked and narrow. The date on one of the
houfes i remember to be 1571 ; thefe areof ftone,
moftly flat roofed, heavy and look badly.
Till the arrival of the Englilh neither
glafs windows nor chimneys were known here,
the lower windows had all a projecting frame of
wooden rails before them. On the 3d of January
1 766, a froft deftroyed all the tropical productions
in the country except the oranges -, the Spaniards
called this a judgement on the place, for being
become the property of Hereticks, as they never
had experienced the like. The Governor's houfe
is a heavy unfightly |)ile, but well contrived for
the climate; at its north weft fide it has a kind
of tower to the height of which Governor Grant
has added feveral feet; this ferves as a look out.
There were three fuburbs in the time of the Span-
iards, but all deftroyed before my acquaintance
with the place, except the church of the indian
town to the north now converted into an hofpital;
(Dr. Stork fays the fteeple of this church is of
good workmanfliip though built by the indians,
neither of which aflertions is true,) and the fteeple
of the German chapel to the weft of the town like-
wife remains. The parifti cliurch in the town is a
wretched building and now almoft a heap of ruins;
the parade before the Governor's houfe is nearly
in
( 264 )
irn the middle of the town and has a very fine
cffedi there are two rows of orange trees planted
by order of Governor Grant, which make a fine
walk on each fide of it : the fandy ftreets are
hardened by lime and oyfter-fhells^ Dr. Stork
fays there were nine hundred houfes at the time of
the Spanifh evacuation, and three thouland two
hundred inhabitants ; in my time there were not
three hundred houfes and at moll a thoufand in-
habitants-, thefe, a few excepted, i found to be
a kind of outcaft and fcum of the earth-, to keep
them fuch, their ill form of government does not
a little contribute. A letter from a friend, who
lately returned from England, direfted to me,
dated 2 th May 1774, fays, "this town is now
*' truly become a heap of ruins, a fit receptacle
*' for the wretches of inhabitants."
About eight miles north of the town is a tra6t
of a confiderable fize, called the twelve mile
fwamp ; which i take to be equal in goodnefs to
any in America; this began to be cultivated in
the year 1770. Three mile's weft from the town
is another fmall tradt of tolerable land, called the
three mile fv/amp; all befides this within m.any
miles is really a miferable fand, a dreary Icrub
ground, and boggy fait marlh, a few acres at the
head of St. Sebaftian's only excepted.
The ifland St. Anajlatio is fituate oppofite the
town and forms the harbour, its north end being
op ofire to the fouth end of the narrow peninfiila
made by the north river : this is the only part of
all the lands purchafed by the worthy Mr. Fifh^
for the debts due to him by the Spaniards, which
he was allowed to keep, notwithftanding the treaty
allowed itiiim-, for no fale was judged valid if
made
( 265 )
made by him, unlefs the government afterwards
gave a grant, but this was one of the many ways
to make offices worthy of holding; the above
named gentleman has a pretty retreat on this iiland,
about four miles from town ; but as the land is
barren it is more ple^ant than profitable. The
found which divides this ifland from the main, is
called Matauca river, it is about twenty miles in
length ; the ifland affords pafturage for numerous
herds of horfes and fome cattle, the firft in par-
ticular breed kindly here; about half a mile trom
the north end of the ifland is a heavy ftone build-
ing ferving for a look out; a fmall detachment of
troops is kept here, and by fignals from hence,
the inhabitants are given to underftand what kind
of, and how many vefiels are approaching the
harbour, either from the north or from the fouth ;
in the year 1770 fifty feet of timber frame work
was added to its former height, as was likewife a
maft or flagftaff forty feven feet long, but this
laft proving too weighty, endangered the build-
ing and was foon taken down. In this ifland are
quarries of a kind of concreted petrified fliells, or
a ftone bearing their refemblance, this will be de-
fcribed hereafter.
About two miles fouth of the town is the mouth
of St. Sebaftian's river already mentioned, this is
a fmall creek rifing near fix miles north of the
town, but its ftream fcon becomes fait by the
meeting of the waters from below ; veflTels go two
miles and a half up it to clean. A bridge was
built over it to the well of the town, which fhort-
ened the road into the country near itwtn miles,
but the great depth of the water joined to the in-
ftability of the bottom did not fuffer it to remain
long
C 266 ;
long, and a ferry is now eftablilhed In its room;
the keeper of the ferry has ^50 fterl. per annum
allowed him, and the inhabitants pay nothing fot
croffing except after dark.
We next meet the mouth of St. Nicholas creek,
on the point to the north of which the firft town
was built by the Spaniards, but they foon re-
moved it for conveniency's fake to its prefent fite :
on the foudi point is a plantation belonging to
Mr. Moultrie the prefent Lieutenant Governor ;
this place is remarkable for a large oyfter bank
being entirely eat out by this gentleman's negroes
in a fcarce feafon. This river is Ihort originating
about ten miles to the weft of the found, and has
no fertile land on or near it.
Six miles further fouth, or about ten miles
from town is the mouth of Sta. Cecilia, another
fmall river of little note. Between nine and ten
miles further is the look out or fort of Matanca,
on a marfhy iHand, commanding the entrance of
Matanca, which lays oppofite to it ; this fort is to
be feen at the diftance of about five leagues, it is
of very little ftrength, nor need it be otherv/ife,^
as there is fcarce eight feet water at the beil of
times on this bar : the Spaniards kept a Lieuten-
ant's command here ; the EngliHi a Serjeant's.
Between two or three miles from this inlet or bar
is another of ftill lefs note, called el Venon ; oppo-
fite and Southward is the mouth of a river called
l^orth Weft, i fuppofe from the direftion of the
courfe we go up it •, it is fomewhat more confider-
able than the two or three laft mentioned ; fome
fettlements are near its banks, but of fmall im-
portance, the land being in general arid and poor.
Three miles further fouth is the upper end of the
water,
itfeter which by former Geographers has been ftlleq
i a river ; the Spaniards called it Rio Mujketo^ and
the Englilli the Mufketo river: Mr. de Brahm
has changed the nameLof it into Halifax river,
I This pretended river is one of thofe arms of the
sfea commonly called a Lagoon; thus i believe the
ii'Wonder of Dr. Stork's two rivers, lyiilg parrallel
ito each other and the ocean, and yet funning di-
tedly oppofite courfes is well accounted for, fuch
\X.agoons being ndt at all uncomrnon: the upper
jf)ai't of this piece of water is a kind of lake or
I pond, and is removed at fo ificonfiderable a
jdiftance from the fea, that boats which were
]6bliged to go outfide at Penon^ where the inland
j navigation ceafes, are here d'rawn out of the fea
I into this tagooiL I believe the firft rocks to be
ife^n on the beach of the coaft of America, from
ILong-Ifland to this place are to be feen here;
I they ard of that ki^d which feem.s to be a con-
cretion of Ihells i they are fmall and do not ex-
tend far into the water, but are as it V/efe buried
in the fand at low water mark'.
About twenty miles fouth is tlie mouth o^To-
fnocG cfeekj failing into this lagoon from the weft-
ward ^ the iiead of this is at a fmall diftance from
St. John's river ^ it is faid' that lorne good lanii
lays along its banks.
Thirty tv/o miles further fouth is themoilthof
itXio^h^v v'v<ft\- c^Wtdfpruce creek; it is very rich
in f refh maffri, f he 2;found beinjy o-reatly broken
j^.>>^>..^.V. WV^ii.^ j^
at its mouth; this' is a more confiderable ftreant'
t'han the laft, and at a little diftance from this
fiiouth are the firft fettlerhsnts oi Mufketo or New
Stnyrfia, particularly Mr. Penman's.
Between three and four miles further feuth is"
LI the
( 258 )
ifie etitfance, or bar of New Smyrna of ft ill kfin
navigable convenience than St. Auguftine, and
is the outwatering of the above named lagoon as
likewife of another coming from the fouth ililed
North Hilljborough river -, here we begin to fee a
few of the tropical plants, fuch as W/r^, horaJfuSi
ecpjicum., mangles and blackwood. At a few miles >
from the bar is the fituation of the town or fettle-
ment made by Dr. TurnbuU for Sir Williani'
Duncan, himfelf, and perhaps more afibciates;,
this town is called New Smyrna^ from the place of
the Doctor's lady's nativity. The fcttlements
round this famous town extend confiderably
along the banks of this lagoon^ and large quanti-
ties of very good indigo have been made here.
If my reader is inquifitive to know why i call this
famous^ i anfwer on account of the cruel methods
ufed in fettling it, which made it the daily topic
6f converfation for a long time in this and the
neighbouring provinces.
About 1500 people, men, wdmen and diild-
fen were deluded away from tlieir native country,
where they lived at home in the plentiful corn-
fields and vineyards of Greece and Italy, to this
place, where inflead of plenty they found want in
its iaft degree, inilead of promifed fields, a dreary
wildernefs -, inftead of a grateful fertile foil, a
barren arid fand-, and in addition to their mifery,
were obliged to indent themfelves, their wivesy,
and children for many years, to a man who hadl
the mod fanguine expeftations of tranfplanting
Bajhawjhip from the Levant. The better to'
effect his purpofe, he granted them a pitiful por-
tion of land for ten years, upon the plan of the
ftfodal fyitem: this being imprgved and juft
rendered'!
( 269 )
rendered fit for cultivation, at the end of that
term it again reverts to the original grantor, and
the grantee, may, il" he chufes, begin a new ftate
of vaffalage for ten years more. Many were
denied even fuch grants as thefe, and were obliged
to work in the manner of negroes, a tafk in the'
field 5 their provifions were at the bed of times.
only a quart of maize per day, and two ounces
of pork per week ; this might have fufficed with
the help of fiHi which abounds in this lagoon^ but
diey v/ere denied the liberty of fiihing, and left
they Ihould not labour enough, inhuman tafk-
mafters were fet over them, and inftead of allow-r
ing each family to do with their homely fare as
they pleafed, they were forced to join all togethep-
in one mefs, and at the beat of a vile drum, to
pome to one com.mon copper, from ^^v^hence their
ho'ituiny wa§ laded out to them; even this coarfe-..
and (canty meal was through carelefs manage^ ■
me^t rendered llill more coarfe, and through thp-
knavery of a proveditor, and the pilfering of a>
hungry cook, ftill more fcant. Mafters of vellels,
were forewarned from giving any of them a piece
of bread or meat. Imagine to yourfelf an African/,
(an expert hunter) who had been long the favorite,
of his mafier, through the importunities of thia.
petty tyrant fold to him, — imagine to yourfelf one
pf a clafs of men, whofe heartjs are generally
callous againft th^ fofter feelings, melted, with,
the wants of fome of thefe wretches, giving them
a piece of his venifon, of which he cauglu whac
he pleafed, and for this charitable a<5t difgraced^
Y^hipped,, and in. courfe of time ufed fo fevereljr
thatjheunyfual fervitude foon releafed him to 9,
feappier ftaite i again, behold a man obliged to whip.
1^,1.2, his
Ills own wife in public, for pilfering bread to re-
lieve her helplefs family, then think of a "time
when the above fmairallowance was reduced to
half, and fee fome brave generous feamen charit-
ably fliaring their own ailo\tance Wnh fome- of
thefe wretches, the merciful tars fuffering abufe
for their generofity, and the. miferable bbjefts'of
their ill-timed pity, undergoing bodily puniHi-
ment, for fatisfying the cravings of a long- dif-
appointed' ^tppetite, ■ and you may form fame
judgement of the manner in which Kew Smyrna
.was fettled. ■ Mr.- Joieph Pui-celi, an excellent
young man, who was draughtfman- to our depart^
ment, aMinorquin, v/ho with his family came over
^t tl>e fame time with thck -people, "but happily
withdifw from the yoke, 'could never' fpeak of
this without tears; he- had' been federal frmes ah'
eye witneft to thisdiftrefs, a"nd told me,' that he
knew many almong- the unhappy fuffbrersv/ho'
were comfortably- eftabliflied 'in' Europe, but- by
great promifes deluded away, and -O Flbrida?
were this the only indanee -of fiQiilar 'barbarity
which thou haft ken^ we- might- draw a^^il over
fhefe fcenes of hofroi'; 'but Rolies-T6v.m,-Mount
Royal j and three of four others of iefs note have '
feen too many wretches-fali viflinis to hunger and
ill ufag'^, -and that at a period of life when health
and iirerhgth generally maintain the hum aii frame
ir\ m greattrft vigour,- and feerh to ihfureioiigevity.
Rollf7s-ti-owii'in> particular has- been the fcpulchre
of abbve focir hundred fdch -victims. Before i
kave-T:kis fu bjeil^ i will -'rekte tht ■ infuffetflion
tQ' whicli thofe unhappy: people at ■ Nsw- Sr/iyrna'
u'ere obligeii ■ to have.- recour-ie, and which . the
great •ones ft iled rebellion* In the y ear ' 3 7 69 , at'
( ^71 )
a time when the unparalleled fevetlties of their ,
Ufk-nnafters, particularly one Cutter {y^\io had.
l^een made, a juftice of the peace, with n^,.
other view than to enable him to execute his bar- ,
hiarities in a larger extent, and with the' greater ap^j
pearance of authority) had cirove thcfe wretchssj-,-
to defpair^ they relblved to efcapc to ^t^iavan-^^
nah-^ tcJ execute this, they broke into the proyir-
Hon ftores, and feized on feme craft lying in the -
harbour, but were prevented from taking others-
bythe care' of the maftep. Deilit^^te of ..any^,
n^an'fit for the important poll of a leader,*, th^irr;
proceedings were all confufion, and anltalimpf-^
very bad priijciples, who was accufed "of a -rapq->-
oh; a very yoyn^ girl, but of fo much note^ that ,,
he had formeiTy been admitted to the oyerfecr.*s ;
t^ble, alTumeq a kind of commaii.d j tliey thought
tiiemfelves fepure"' where they were, and this op- ..
cafioned a delay, • .'till a ^etachinent of the ninth -
regimenthad'tiipe. to arrive,' to whorri they fu^fj
mittsd, eixcept -one boat full,- which efcaped tq:^
the Florid^ Keys ; bli t ' was ta^e,a up by a ]Pro- •. .
viHence-man';- many were tlie v.i£lims (Jeiiine'd-to
piljrilfhriient, ; as | was one of the grand jury which
fat fifteen. days" on thisbufmefsj f had an oppor-
tunity of canvafUng it welK 'but the accufations
v/fere of fo fmall account that we found only five
bills ;■ one of thefe v/as againft'a man for maim-
ing the" above fa-Iii Cutter, whom, itfee'ms, they
ha'd pitched upon" as the principal obje^ of theii;^;^"
refehtment, and curtailed his ear, and two of his' ,
fiiig'ers i—another for fhpotmga cow, which being.. -^
a Capital crime in England, the lav/ making ic^ .
fuch was here extended to this Province ; the
Others were againfl the leader, and three more, for
^'^—■'- ^.. • - -■• ^ ■ '^ • ■ the"^^
( 272 )
the burglary committed on the provlfion flore i
the diftreffes of the iufferers touched us 'lO, that
we aimoit unanimoufly willied for feme happy
eircumfVances that might juftify oqr rejeding all
the bills, except that againft the cjiief, who was a
villain. One man was brought before us three
or tour times, and at laft was joined in one accufa-
tion with the perfon who rtiaimed Cutter •, yet
no evidence of weight appearing againft him, I
had an opportunity to remark by th^ appearance
of fome faces in court, that he had been marked,
and tbet the grand jury difapfpointed the expec-^
tations of more than one great man. Governor
Grant pardoned two, and a tliird who was oblig-
ed to be thq executioner of the remaining two, ;
On this occafion I faw one of the mod moving^
fcenes I ever experienced •, long and cbftinatd^
was the llruggie of this man's mind, who re-
peatedly called out, that he chofe to die rather.
than be the executioner of his friends in diftrefs :
this not a little perplexed Mr. IFoolridge^ the flie-
riff, till at length the entreaties of the vidims
themfelvesj put an end to the conflidt in his breaft,
by encouraging him to the ad. Now we beheld
a man thus compelled to mount the ladder, take
leave of hjs friends in the moft moving manner,
kiffing them the moment before he committed
them to an ignominious death. I have d:welt the
longer on this fubjed, becaufe the native preju-
dice of vulgar Englifhmen, has reprefented the;
misfortunes of thefc wretches in too b.lack a light.
It is faid tliat Dr. Stork, who was near, the fpot
when the infurreftion happened, died with the.
fright, and Cutter fome time after died a iin-
gecing death, having experienced, befides his.
■'" " wounds.
( 273 )
•bounds, the terrors of a coward in power, over-
taken by vengeance.
To return to our topographical account :— along
this fouthern lagoon, which extends itfclf for
about forty miles to Cape Cajmaveral, in the lati-
tude of 28 degrees and a half, we find fcveral
fettlements of good note, among which that of
Captain Rogers is the moft meridional habitation
on the Britifh continent. At Cape Cannaveral is
fome good plantableland, and here is the fouth-
ern head of this lagoon ; at>out two miles and
an half to the weftward thereof is the head or
northern end of another branch, likewiie called
a river ^ a road is cut to draw boats out of the
Mufketo Lagoon into this, which is called South-
billjborough, by Be Brahara^ but commonly called
Indian River •, the favages call it Alfa Hatcba, i. t.
Deer River, although the fame elegant Lexipba-
fies has made it Hyfweefiake ; a word by him fa-
bricated, as I fuppofe, from Ykcco^ the name
given by the favages to St. John's River-, the
Spaniards call it Reo d'a'is. No rivei-s of any
note fall into its northern branch, except St. Se-
baftians, di redly oppofite to whole mouth hap-
pened the Ihipwreck of the Spanifn Admiral,
who was the northermofl wreck of fourteen gal-
leons, and a hired Dutch Ibip, all laden with fpeV
cie and plate ; which by ilrefs of north eaft
winds v/ere drove alhore and loft ori this coari^
between this place and the bleach-yard, in 17 15.
A hired Frenchman, fortunately efcaped, by hav-
ing fleered half a point moreea'ft than the others.
The people employed in the courfe of our lur-
vey, while walking the ftrand, after ftrong eaC
tern gales, have repeatedly found pifbareens and"
do\^ble
doubfc piflareens, which kinds of money pre-
bably yet remaining in the wrecks, are fometimel
waflied up by the furf in hard winds-.. This La^
goon ftretches parallel to the fea, until the lati-
tude 27 f 20, where it has an out-watering, of
mouth : direftly before this mouth, in three fa-
thom water, lie the remains of the Dutch wreck.
The banks of this lagoon are not fruitful.
Having now exceeded the latitude 28, to the
fouthward, i fnall here break off' from the fea-
coaft, arid refume the defcription of the interior
country from th It latitude ; being, as before ob-
ferved, the fotuh-end of the peninfula, made by
, Si. John's Kiyer and the fe^^. This fo'Jthern end
is a mere point of marlh, witli fome broken pind,
land in it, not much above three quarters of a mil^
wide, dividing the frefll water cf St'. John, from
the fait of A'ija h'atcha : imagine tlien to your-
felf a country gradually rifmg into a ridge of*
highland, very barren, fandy and gra-velly, a few
places' excepted, ii^terfeded with abundance of
rivulet's, and variegated with ponds and lakes,
whofe banks being in general lined with oak M?^-
f!olia, and other trees, exhibit the moft romantic
fccne imiaginable, and yoa will have a jufi: idea
of this place. We frequently meet with fpacious
favannahs of the high kind -, the country is co-
vered with roe deer and turkies, the lakes flocked
with fifli, and thus it contimies in a due weft
lineacrofs the Mexican gulph to thcfaid latitude
28, which ftrikes faid gulph 15 m. northward of
the bay of Spiritu Sa7ito. As we go northerly
the fertile fpots become more frequent, till wc
come to that part of the province formerly pol-
9z]^-:\:i by the Spaniards : here we find along the'
road
( '^IS )
road from Augujline to Apalachia^ the remains, or
ruins of the following forts and towns, 'viz. opL
each fide of .J^. John's.; fort Pkolata^ Popa^ and
about feve^ty miles W, N. W. of Popa, we
meet with Alachua^ Ptiebla nova Navala^ Santa
Fe, in a very fertile region, Utoca^ Si. Pedro, and
St. Matheo in a lefs favourable foil ; then fomc
fmail remains of Ayovola •, next the fort St. Mark's
in pine barren, all which are ftill marked (even
, in late maps) though not now inhabited ; in
this part of the country, efpecialiy at Alachua,
an hundred miles N. W. from Augujline ; the
ground is fertile in a high" degree, and fo con-
tinues northward, to the extent of the province.
Near Santa Fi is a river of the fame name, which,
by the Englijhy is corruptly called St. Tafffs ;
this river, after a confiderable courfe, lofes itfelf
under ground, and the geography is not fuffi-
ciently known to acquaint us whether it emer-
ges again or not. This i reckon one , of the
chief curiofities of this province. We next met
with very great holes, fifty or fixty feet deep,
and thirty or forty feet in diameter at the furface,
in the higheft part of the pine ridges, whjch af-
ford fome good water to the thirfty traveller,
there being no other water in thofe ridges. I
came acrois the pininfula-in a dry feafon, and
we were five days without water, becaufe we
travelled over the ridge almoft in its longitu-
dinal direction, and faw but few of thefe holes ;
. (in the fouthern latitude of 28 and 29, in which
; i was then) even thefe we found dry ; but i did
' not know, at that time, their nature, which i
afterwards found. Mr guide informed me, that in
the road from Auguftine to Apalachia, in a fimilar
M i» feafon,
( '^l^ )
feafon, he had been obliged to fufFer along thirft,
and at laft came to one of thefe holes, in which
he had always found water, chough in others it
failed; but this time he fouiid his expe6lations
fruftrated -, preifed by drought, and animated
by his companions, they, with fome labour, re-
moved a flat ftone, which lay at the bottom, with
an intent to dig for water ; but how were they
furprifed, when they faw a fmall hole, and about
fix inches below its furface fome very fine water;
having fatisfied the call of nature, their contem-
plation led them to confider whence this water
fprung ; one of them imagined he faw it gently
running, their ftaves were put in to feel for bot-
tom, but none was found : inqufitive curiofity
led them to found deeper, and lo ! a fappiin, of
near thirty feet, found no bottom, and they de-
parted with unfettled conjeftures.
On the loth of June, 1771, i found myfelf in
a difagreeablc fituation, on the weft courfe of
Eafl-Fiorida, through want of water ; I faw fre-
quently very ftrong currents of difcoloured water,
indicaLing frefh flreams ; fuppofing thefe to pro-
ceed ftom rivers, i coafced along fliore ; but
found nothing except innumerable iflands and
vaft fhoals ; frequently tafling the water, found
it always brackiHi : at iengch, on the 21ft day of
faid month, i found an opening, where I got an-
chorage for my veffel. I went perfonally on
(hore, to explore the fmall ifland we were next
to, taking with' me a lad, avid a thirty gallon
cafk. Its afpe6t was miferable ; oyfter fhells and
rocks were every where its fuperficies ; at laft,
however, I found a fmall hole in the rpck, and
water in it ; which, to my incxpreflible joy proved
frelh.
( '^77 )
frefh, and of the cleareft and fineft kind; haften-
ing back on board, we were obliged to roll the
caik in the water, in order to get it into the boat,
when, accidentally applying my hand to my
mouth, i found to my furpiize the water to be
frefh ; having proceeded on board, we tailed the
water in which the veffel fwam, which alfo prov-
ed frefh and good : thus i found myfeif, as it
were, in si lea of frefh water; ftimulatcd by cu-
riofity, i left the vef5el next day, with an inten-
tion to penetrate to the main' land, which, with
difHculty was effected; but in a whole day's
fearch no river was found ; yet a conflant ftrong
current proceeded from the fhore, and along it.
The fmgularity of the circumftance made me beat
the ground, and ftamp on it, which, occafioned
a hollow found. I have fmce been informed by
travellers, that between the town Si. Mattheo^
fnow inhabited by lavages, and fituate on the ri-
ver St. Juan de Guacaro) and Apalachia., they fre-
quently meet with this hollow found under their
horfes feet. Twenty miles call from Apalachia^
we crofs a place over a creek, called by the fa-
vages, the natural bridge: all thcfe circumftances
correfpond with an idea which I have formed of
fubterraneous rivers in this province. Another
curiofity,, though not a natural one, are the
marks of former improvement of this country ;
particularly the velliges o^ -^he regula/ maize
hills (even in woods whereV fmce the sra of
culture, trees of twelve to eighteen inches dia-
meter have grown up) and the nails and fpikcs
drove into fome very large trees, apparently at
ancient Spanifh Cowpens ; add to thefe, the fe-
iiques of old fences, huts, houfes and churches,.
M ra 2 ■ particularly
( 278 )
particularly a church bell in the ficldB, at Santa
Fe. Thus wc have a melancholy inftance, even
in this new world, of the depredations of time,
and a country once nobly and extenfively fettled,
through the inroads of the favages reduced again
to a wildernefs, yet all this mull have happened
feme time later than Anno Domini 1543,
the year when Soto compleated the firll Chriftian
expedition to Florida, with his death.
Tanta ejl terreftrium vidjfitudo I
The remaining natural curiofities are the mir.
ncral fprings, delcribed in page 34 and 35, and
the ridge of fand hills between OclawwawhaWy
and St. John's,., likewife mentioned in page 35
and 36 of this volume. I alfo regard as a cu-
riofity of the artificial kind, the immenfe orange
groves, found in the woods between latitude 284^,
and 30°, fuppofmg them originally fprung from
the feeds of Ibme oranges formicrly dropt,,by tra--
veiling Spaniards, at their camps •, but which are
now gradually decaying, by reafon of the wan^
tonnefs of our traders and hunters, who, when in
want of the fruit, cut down the tree j other ve-
getable curiofities will more probably appear un-
der the botanical heads. The many 'Tumuli, oru
ginally intended for the peaceful repofitory of
the dead, tho' fome of their tops now bear fummer
houfes for recreation to the living, are another cur.
riofity. Having ipentioned hills, I could willi to
know whence com.es the idea of Apdachian Moun-
tains., nothing above a moderate hill appearing
in all this vaft extent of country, till we meet (to
the north of latitude 35) with the m.ountains of
the Upper Cherokees., on the Tanajfee river •, and it
is obfervable,^ that this ridge continuing back of
NQith-
( 279 ) .
North-Carolina, Virginia and Maryland, through
Pennlylvania, and back of Ncw-Jerley, into
New- York, and terminating near Katflciil, about
eight miles from Hudfon's River (where they
bear the name of Blue Mountains) lie nearer to'
the ocean than to the MifTiiTippi ; all the country
weft of them is nearly a plain, there being no
falls from Monsngahela and Aligheny forks, down
to the mourh of Miffifiippi, that are of confc-
quence enough to interrupt navigation j even
the Ohio falls, lb called; are not violently rapid;
nor are there any falls from the place of embar-
kation on the Tanajfee, down the Hcgoheegee^
to xht Ohio T, xht Shaivanefe river, has none that
ever I could learn ; Tomhechbe none in all its ex-
tent ; — whence then come the defcriptions of A-
palcichian Mountains? whence Jugujiine, at the
foot of a hill, and many more fuch dreams not
worth repeating. Either the face of the country
is more changed than any we read of elfewhere,
or former writers having been abufed, have again
impofed on us ; for the face of Greece and other
regions of the Eaft, is yet reconcileable to Ho-
mer's geography. Holland 11)11 has nearly the
fame kind of fuperficial appearance, as we are
informed, it had eighteen hundred years ago -,
and we may ftill trace Julius Co-far through thefe
ancient habitations of the Catii^ Kelti and Cheruf-
a ', how then comes America fo altered ? Moil
of the defcribers of this new world, even late
ones muft have impofed upon us, either ori-
ginally, or by copying fuch lying exaggerators
and impoftors, as the inventors of the conqueft
of Mexico^ and others of his ftamp ; who, not
content with giving us plain truth, and fimple
fads
( 28o )
fads in their native drefs, have ahuoft hid them
from us by the thick clouds of fable.
In this northern part of the province we find
the ioUowing iettlements of favages •, about the
middle of the land,, nearly in laritude 28, in a
village called New Tufala^ being a colony from
Tufala, in the upper Creek nation, planted in
1767, in a beautiful and fertile plain : about
fifty miles N. E, from thence, and about thirty
W. S. W. from the upper part of Lake George,
in St. John's River, which is eighty miles nearly
louth of Augitfnne^ is another town, fituate on a
very beautiful lake, about {tvtn miles in length,
and from one to one and an half in breadth -, this
town is acceffible only on the N. W. fide of the
above lake, over a very narrow and high ridge :
when i came to it from the fouthward, though in
a very dry feafon, we had near a mile and a half,
or two miles, to wade breaft high, and fometimcs
deeper, through a kind of marih on the weft
bank. The town lies near the 'N. W. end of
the lake, and from its fituation is called Taloffa
Ockhafe^ I. e. the town of the lake •, fome ifiands
in this lake, as well as fome land near the town,
are cultivated by the favages. Further north, is,
Alacua^ Santa -Fe, and St. Mattheo^ now inhabited
by the favages •, the fort at Jpalacks is new a
trading houie, chiefly in their poiTefTion, and the
weltern extremity of the province is the great ri-
ver Apalackicola^ on which the Lower Creek na-
tion is fettled, whofe principal towns are called
the Cowettas^ Ckatahoochas^ Euchas^ Citafees, Ho-
gcleeges^ Oahnidgos^ Tu/keegieSy Cuffitos^ and Che^
rckee hoiifitfa^ near tlie ruins of fort Apalachicola^
at the junction of Flint River, and the river
in
( 28l )
inj,the fouth weftern extreme of this divlfion is
the head of Manatee river, between which and
the Amaxura^ I faw a vaft number of deer, and
the marks of many of the hunting camps of the
favage^. We found the foot Heps of fix or eight
buffaloes hereabouts, fo plain as to be convinced
of the track being made by thofe animals, but
faw none of the animals themfelves •, the Amaxura
or fomie of its branches is pot far from the Mana-
tee^ and where we croffed it, was an extenfive
piece of excellent land.
To compleat the Topography of this part, i (hall
maintain that Rio d'a'is abounds lb much in fifh
'of various kinds, that a perfon may fit on the
bank, and ftick the fifh with a knife, .or fharp
Hick, as .they fwim by •, and 'i have frequendy
ihot from four to twelve mullets at one Hiot, nay
our boys ufed to go along fide of the vefTel in the
boat, and kill the cat-fifh with a hatchet, or
ftick. This might well be ranked among the cu-
riofities ; but the whole country abounds fo much
in fifh, that when St. Au^uftine flourifhed mod,
the filhermen frequently ufed to allow people,
who brought a Real^ to take as much as they
pleafed, out of their boats.
The reader will obferve that the rules of geo-
graphy, with regard to natural limits, have cauied
me to vary a little in the prelent divifion of the
peninfula, from that adopted in page i and 2
in this work, which was founded in the climates ;
but the variation being fmall, i hope it is excufe-
able. I fhall now proceed with the defcription or
topography of thelbuthern part of the peninfula.
Fpom the latitude 28, the lagoon oi A'ifa^ or
Indian River, has not any thing very remark-
able,
( 282 )
able, until latitude 27 : 20, where there is a
mouth, or Oitwatering, into the ocean, with fe-
veral fmall inlets withm it. This mouth can fel-
dom be entered by any veffel that draws above
five feet water -, and before it, in the fea, are two
bars, the inner one having about ten, the outer
one feventeen feet onjt ; and this outer one is
near four miles from the land. The fand Joe-
fore this entrance, is a fine white quickfand, of
a particular nature.' I have anchored feveral
times within the diftanceof three 6y four leagues
from this mouth, but not above once or twice
without having the cable all eaten thr"ough, in the
ring of the anchor ; fometimes i have purchafed
the Anchor by a fmgle ilrand, fometimes by lefs,
at other times by a little more •, and i have loft
aJDOve fix or feven anchors, and large grapnels at
this place, yet there is nowhere any foul ground,
or, in other words, no rocky bottom. A.t a
mile, or more, from the fhore, and within that
diftance, i think, i have found a few fhell ftones,
I imagine that this fine quickfand, being very
lliarp, by its continual motion chafes ^nd frets
the cable quite through, and this, it generally
does, in lefs than four and twenty hours.
From this mouth of the lagoon an ifland
flretchesto about the latitude 26 , ^^^ v/here there
is another mouth, or inlet, caled Hole by the Spa-
niards ; this iiland is thirty- nine meafured ftatute
miles long : at twenty-four miles from its north-
end are feveral high cliff's of a blue ftone •, thcfe
are the firft rocks that lie high out of the water,
along the American ' beach •, they are placed at
about high water mark, and a fmall ridge, or
reefj runs Hoping off from the northernmoil one :
and
( iii )
a^nd about nine miles further, towards Hohe is afl-^'
other parcel ; a-, there is likewilb at the entrance
ei Habe^ of very folid, hard rock; all whica,
particularly the northernmoft o;ies, are excellent
landmarks for the feamen, going fouth wards.
The remarkable things about this ifland are, that
it is a narrow (lip of beach, and mangrove land ;
on the beach are always great nu nbers of pieces
of Spanilh cedar j originally cut on the windward
rivers of Cuba, for the ufe of the Catholic King's
fliip-yards j but by land floods drove into the Ba-
hama channel, and Gulph ftream, whence the
frequent eaft-winds force them upon foundings,
and fo on this beach -, very few pieces are found
either north or fouth of this ifland. The ifland
on its weft-fide is indented, almoll regularly into
points and bays. Frefli water may be obtained
by digging in almoft every part of the beach.
The chief growth here are mangroves^ blackwoody
conocarpus, falfola and uniola ; with a p rafitical
plant of the genus Bromdia, called wild pine
apple. A few fpots of hammock^ or upland, are
found on this ifland ; thefe produce the zanlo->
xyluMy fictis citfi folio ^ Cotcoloba, Majiick, Borajfus^
and a few trees of the live oak, and willow oalc,
the Chryfoholanus^ and the Cercus T^riangularis^
with that kind of Ca^us, commonly called Opun-
tia. During the fcafon the loggerhead turtles
land here in vaft multitudes, to lay their eggs,
which the bears profit by -, for, led by inftind,
or otherwife, thefe animals come in droves, and
dig the eggs out : as this bufmefs they are fo ex-
pert, that they dig wells for their fupply of water ;
during their ftay, they fometimes fe&eh down the
N n Wild
( -284 )
wild Pine*, which, by its flrudure naturally
contains a confiderable quantity of rain-water,
preferved in a freih, fweet tafte. So induftrious
are the bears at digging up the eggs, that the
turtle feldom leaves her neft above a quarter of
an hour before they are eaten, infornuch, that a
traveller, if he choies any of this provifion, is
obliged to watch the turtles coming. I have
feen the bears approach within five or fix yards
of our camp, at times when we had fome of thefe
eggs, but this ftretch of latronical boldnefs, ge-
nerally coft them their lives.
Oppofitethis ifland the fhore is fandy and high,
here are many rivulets, and the Berajfus here ap-
pears to be the mafler of the foil, fcarce any other
plant fliewing itfelf •, direftly oppofite the rocks
before defcribed is the mouth of St. Lucia river,
which has a wide kind of bay, for eight miles up,
ftretching firft N. E. 40 W. four miles, then
W. four miles more, when it divides into two
branches, one coming from the fouth, the other
from the N. W. by N. this laft appearing the prin-
cipal, i went up it for twenty-four miles, reckon-
ing dired diftance, and found no where lefs than
feven feet water ; here the river became narrow,
and partly on account of the obfcruftions by logs,
partly on account of the rapidity of the ftream,
I left the veffel •, and going up by hnd, found
the river at laft to run through a vaft plain, the
bank of the dream only being fringed with a few
trees.
Here we Ihot what number of deer, and tur-
kies we pleafed, and might have continued fo to
do, i dare fay, two months longer ; the reafon
o£
f Tillandjia Lingulata,
C 2^5 )
of this plenty is, in my opinion, that this tradt:
IS fcarcely ever invaded by the hoflile favages, or
yet more deftrudtive white hunter ; this is the
dver, which, as i was told by a Spanifh pilot and
fifherman of good credit, proceeds from the lake
Mayacco, a lake of feventy-five miles in circum-
ference by his account. The man told me that
he had formerly been taken by the favages, and
by them carried a prifoner, in a canoe, by way of
this river, to their fettlements on the banks g£
the lake ; he fays, that at the djfemboguing of
the river, out of the lake, lies a fmall cedar ifland^
he alfo told me that he faw the mouth of five or
fix rivers, but whether falling out of, or into
th-s lake, i could not learn of him ; probably
fome of the many rivers i croffed in my journey
acrofs this peninfula, fall into it, and it is not
improbable that St. John's river originates in it.
The large river in Charlotte harbour, by the di-
redion of its courfe, meridian fituation, and great
width, i judge, might, perhaps, fpring from the
feme fountain -, however, the favages of ^ahffh
Ochafi told me, tliat in going far fouth, they go
round a, large water, emptying itfelf into the
vrefl fea, i. e. gulph of Mexico.
Thus much have i been able to learn of this
water, the exploring of which i always intended;
whether there is really this lake, or not, i will
not be pofitive, but the above circumftances,
joined to a dark account, which the favages give
of going up St. John's, and coming down an-
other river, to go into fome far fouthern region
of Eaft Florida (on which account the name of
llaccQj and the name given to St. Lucia by the
favages, both conveying. indecent meaning?, are
Nn 2, by
C 28^ )
by them given to thefe rivers) fcems to confirm
it. That there is feme fuch great water, is fur-
ther to be gathered from th. profufion of frtfh
water which this river. Si. Lucia, pours dov/n.
Such is the immenfe quantity that the whole
found between the abovenamed illand and the
main, though an arm of the fea, fituate in a ve-
ry fait region, and in general two miles v/ide, is
very often rendered totally frelb thereby : in fo
much, that it has made the very fpeculative Mn
D<? Brahm infift upon having leen mangrove
Humps in frefh water. 1 his lake has given rife
to the interfered, and mangled condition in
which we fee the peninfula exhibited in old ma s.
But to return to the mouth of the river St. l.ucia^
it lays one mile, fcventy four chains, and ftventy
links, S. W. by S. from the great rocks •, the
mouth is fifty-four chains, eighty-nine links wide :
fix miles and a quarter N. N. W. from the
m uth on the edge of the found, lieth the hill by
the Spaniards called Ropa T'endida, and by us the
Bleach-Tard, on account of its appearance ; be-
ing a high hill full of white fpots, the firil of
any note from the Neverjnks in the Jerfeys, to
this place, and is a remarkable land-mark. At
the mouth of the river is a bay, into which runs
a rivulet from the fouth ; Mr. De Brahm has ho-
noured this with the name of Grenvtlle River, on
account of a traft of land here laid out for that
gentleman, on one of the moft- unaccountable
pieces of white fand i ever faw ; which by rea-
lon of its being covered with a large growth of
all forts of trees, indicating a fine foil, i have
always looked upon in the light of a natural cu-
liofity.
f 2^7 )
From this mouth of the river fouthward the
found is cut into three branches, by means of
two ^eninfulas of mangroves, divided from the
main ifland by thefe lagoons ; the branch which
difembogues itfelf at Hobe is fhallovv, and full of
oyfter banks, about fou' teen miles long •, how-
ever, a fmall fchooner, drawing five feet water,
was byoyr people brought through here, and out
at Hobe. This inlet was Ihut for many years be-
fore 1769, but i havefince feen it open till 1773,
our people have been encamped on the fame Ipot
where now the water allows egrefs and regrefs to
fuch a craft as the above-mentioned fchooner,
juft fufficient to pafs it : This, i fuppofe, has
been owing to a lefs quantity of water coming
down St. Lucia river for fome years, becaufe the
Spaniards informed mt of its having been open
before. In fhort, this part of the country is
fuch a curiofity^ that i have many times lament-
ed the want of leifure, and means to explore it
thoroughly. My journal from the bay of 'Tampe^
over land to Augujline, threw indeed a great light
on this ; but to my irretrievable lofs i have mif-
fed it thefe four or five years : I can, however,
remark upon the authority of that journal, that
the fertile land is found in lefs proportion, in the
interior part of the peninfula, in this fouthern,
than in the northern divifion •, — that the ground
becomes more ftoriy as we approach the meridio-
Dal regions -, that it is likev/ife interfperfed with
the fame kind of romantic ponds, or lakes, as
de bribed on page , — that in the river Manatet
is a confiderable fall of rocks fourteen miles from
its mouth ; — that above thefe falls the banks are
ycry fteep j — that this fteepnefs caufes the water
t®
( 288 )
to rife about fifty feet above its ordinary furfaee 5
a circumftancc which this Hiort river has in com-
mon with all torrents ;— and that the bay of
Tampe, into which this river falls, is the mofl:
p- oper place in all America, fouth of Halifax,
for the rendezvous of a large fleet of heavy
ihips ; the country all around being plentifully
timbeird and watered ; the foil is poor, fome of
the i Hands along the weft coaft excepted, and both
this and Charlotte harbour are excellent fituations
for eftablifhing fifheries.
From Hobe to the latitude 25 : 44, the coaft
is all double land, or narrow necks between the
fea ; there are fome rivers and lagoons ; on the
banks of fuch of them as are freih we meetv/ith
great bodies of marfh land, which may be im-
proveable. About fifty miles north of the fouth-
crn paint of the main land the coaft changes its
couife from S. S. E. to diredly louth ; and at
the head land, occafioned by this, is a large hard
blue rock on the beach, out of which 'a large
ftream of very fine frelh water ilTues, guftiing
diredly into the ocean ; there are four little in-
lets between this rock and latitude 25 : ^^', one
of thefe not always open -, the laft is in the north
end of the firft ifiand, whofe fouth end De Brahm
has thought proper to call Cape Florida, although
it is by no means a cape, or head land at all.
Weft from this is the rWar RaUones, being a
fine ilream, and pretty confiderable, with a little
good rich foil on its banks, where many tropical
plants grow j at its mouth are the remains of a
favage fettlemenr. To the fouthward of this ri-
ver is a large body of marfh, through which fe-
veral rivulets of fine water empty themfelves into
the
C 289 )
the found, back of the keys, which begin herf,
that a man may here (land with one foot in frelh,
and the other in fait water ; nay when the tide is
out frefh water boils up through the fand. From
this river and marih the remainder of the land is
a heap of ftoncs and rocks, very fharp, and little
water to be found, there being only a few ponds,
and thefedry in a dry fealbn. The only growth
here is Ihrubby pine. At Sandy point, the fouth-
ern extremity of the peninfula, arc large old fields,
being the lands formerly planted by the Coloofa
favages •, in latitude 25 : 20, is a fak lake, and
a remarkable iftbmuSy joining what was formerly
called Cayo krg&^ or long key to the main : our
refearches for a pallikge, weft of the keys, have
convinced us of its being fail to the main land.
In the bay of Juan Ponce De Leon, in the weft
fide of the land, we meet with innumerable fmall
iflands, and feveral freSi ilreams : the land in ge-
neral is drowned mangrove fwamp. On the
banks of thefe ftreams we meet with fome hills
of rich foil, and on every one of thde the evi-
dent marks of their having beee formerly culti-
vated by the favages. I went up into fbsKC high
trees on tlicfe ME"$, to fee if i could not Ipy xh&
pine land from their tops, with a view, it i law
it any where near, to penetrate to it, through th€
fwamps, hot the ueareH i few was, by computa-
tion, twelve mite oC
Thcfe hills, among this dreary maagr«jve knd,
have apparcBdy been the iaH retreatf, afid (kulk.- '
ing places, Qi^CdsaJn im^^y wh€is thdr more
potent neigfafomirs, tlbe Creeks^ ^m^€ ihemeiFthe
continent. FmMa hrg&^ er ope R^4m^ m htu
tude 25 : 4j, on ^ w€&-ikk, m:mm&vs$ with
this
( 2^0 )
this great bay, and the fituation of the couhtfy
will be beft learned by conluii; ng my cliarcsi
From this place to latitude 20 : 30 are many in-i
confiderable inlets, all carefully laid down in the
chart ; heie is Carlos Bay, and the Goioofa Hcitcha,
er Coloofa river, with the illand San Thell, where
we find theiouthern entrance of Charlotte harbour
abovenamed : Let it fufiice to refer my readers
in general to my maps^ after i lliall have to'd
him that all this point is fandy pine land, and
that deer, turkeys, oy Iters, clams, and fifli abound
here furprifingly. The keys, or Martyrs, and
the reef will lilcewife be belt known by infpec-
tion of the charts : thefe are a heap of rocks^
very few fmall fpots on them being cultivated 5
Matacombe alone would be worth attention for a
fettlement •, all their productions are tropical,
not an oak to be found on any one, and pine
trees on one only 5 but this r^ti and keys mav
be rendered ferviceable in time or war, to any
people who are well acquainted with them ; the
reef begins in latitude 25 -, 34, and the channel,
between it and the iflands, will admit a veflel
drawing fixteen feet v/ater \ for a good way in,
and at key Bifcay, is a good place for careening
Graft of ten feet draught : there is good v/ater
on it, and if it fhould fail, the rivulets in the
grand marih will lupply any quantity for a Ihip
of confiderable force, and her tender might here
find the beft ftation, for a cruize, of any i know,
for there being no more than fifteen leagues
from the reef to the Beminis, where tlicre is like-
wife water, and on both Ihores plenty of fifh and .
turtle, file may lay on either fide in fafety. The
tender finds a harbour on each fide, of ten feet at
lealt 5
( 291 )
^ leaft i on the Florida fide, the fliip laying with-^-
in the reef, i need not tell the feamen that fhe lay
fafe ; thus cruizing acrofs here, or one being on
the ftation on one fide, and the other on the
other, it would be next to an impoffibility for a
fhip to efcape them. Of what confequence thi^
is, in a place through which the Spaniards are
oiDiiged to fend ail their treafures, every one may
judge. At Cayo Tabona^ a large fhip, even of 6d
guns, may ride jufl within the reef, and her ten-
der can always fupply her with water, either from
Matacombe^ or the above-named marlh, and key
Bijkay. Few veffels can come through the gulph
without coming in fight of this place, and it is
generally the firfl land made by every fail of lliip-
ping after they leave the Cuba Ihore, Sound-
Point, or Cape-Florida, being jufl: N. of it.
Matacomhe is another good ftation for fmall vef-
fels, which may run in here, and the Bahama
bank affords anchorage in cafe one would chufe
to cruize acrofs. Cayo Huifo, commonly called
Key Weft, is another good ftation for a fmall
frigate, but not fo advantageous as the others,
nor is there fo much fafety here.
Nothing further of note occurs at thefe illands,
except that at Cayos Vacos^ and Cayo Huifo^ we fee
the remains of fome favage habitations, built, or
rather piled up of ftones ; thefe were the laft re-
fuges of the Caloofa nation ; but even here the
water did not protect them againft the inroads
from the Creeks, and in 1763 the remnant of
this people, confifting of about eighty families,
left t-his lafl poffeffion of their native land, and
went to the Havannah. They were a tribe of
excellent fifhermen ; this nation was ftrenuoufly
O o engaged
( 292 )
engaged in the Spanifh intereft, they were go-
verned in a manner fomevvhat monarchical, and
while they lived on thefe keys, were the dread
and terror of the feamen ; who, not being able
to fteer clear of the dangerous reefs vv'hich are
here, efcaped one kind of cruel death, to run in-
to the jaws of one ftill more terrible: the inhu-
manity committed by the Coloofas^ on fliipwrecked
mariners, is lliocking even to Barbarians. A
little key lying before Matacombe is a dreadful
monument of this, it is called the Matanfa^ (i. e.)
llaughter, from the murder of near four hundred
wretched Frenchmen, who, being caft away, fell
into the hands of thefe monfters •, who, after
keeping them in the adjacent iflands for fome
time, carried them all to this little key, which
now ferves them for one common grave. The
people from Providence, v/ho came here for
turtle or Mahogany wood, came always armed,
and had frequent brullies v,^ith them, fo that the
diflodging of thefe fierce favages has been offer-
vice to navigation. The unhappy fufferer by
wreck, who efcapes v/ith life, may now be fure
of fafety on the Ihore of thefe iflands. Having
mentioned the cutting of mahogany it may be
proper to obferve that little or none now remains
"here.
I have now given as ample a defcription of
Eaft Florida, as the nature of this work will al-
low, and after having made fome remarks on
two curious produ6lious of that profound and
fpeculative philoibpher, William Gerrard De
Brahm^ Efq; his Majerty's furveyor general of
the fouthern diftridl of North- America, I fhall
fay fomething of the weilern province.
The
( 293 )
The firft of thefe confills of fome obfervations
made by this fmgular genius, and tranfmitted to-
the Honourable Board of Trade -, fiich as they are.
Dr. Stork has given them to the publick, as to
be depended upon.
Firft he fays, " in latitude 27 the plantabk
" land is fcarce, except the mangrove fwamps,^
" for the cultivation of Barilla.'' What reader,
feeing this, would not imagine that thefe fvvamps
were improveable, but they are a foil drowned
by the fea to the depth of three or four feet ;
often only fand banks, and as the roots of trees
grow in arches, above ground, they are for the
moft part impenetrable, and fome totally inac-
cefTible to either man or beaft.
2. " The trees and flfrubs -- are x.\\tarbore-
" ous grape vine^ and Jpice bark trees^ the Hiccora,
" Plumb and Panao.''' I fhall inform my bota-
nical reader, that this arboreous grape vine is the
Coccolaba^ or grape tree, well known in the Weft-
Indies, which has no manner of affinity with the
vitis or vine, the fpice bark trees are no other
than two fpecies of Lauri, one of them the Lau-
rus Borbonia, or Red Bay, having its aromatic
jaices more concentrated in this climate than
further north, and through the influence of the
fun it is no more than a mere fhrub.
The Hiccora : Anno 1772 he has learned to call
this by its right name, Hickorey •,, but what ftiall
we fay, when it is not po0ibk to find a fmgle
plant of this kind in the fouthern part of the
province •, nor is there any thing that looks like
Ei plumb, except the Qhryfobalanus, Icaco, or Co-
co-plumb, not at all alike in kind to the prunl.
whiclwyiewQuld. judge to be meant by the plumb.
Qo ^ Xhfi.
( 294 )
The Pafao i guefs is the Carica, vulgarly called
Papaw, of which we find a good number.
3. " From latitude 26 : 40 to 27, there is a
*' branch of Hillfborough river, terminating in
*' frefh water marfh, the principal river depart-
** ing fouthward.'*
Compare this with my defcription of the found
into which Sl Lucia river falls.
What a piece of accuracy do we difcover in the
numbers 4693, 9386, 24, 300, 950, 2800, and
37961 acres 1 this is of the fame ftamp with the
matchlefs cxadlinefs of latitudes 25d. 48m. 33^
26d. 53m. 35f. 24d. 57m 6f &c in his map
prefixed to that curious publication, the Atlan^
tic Pilot.
4. " The weft fide — -Ynay do in time for the
" cultivation of the Opuntia plant." When we
know, that this identical plant is a weed and meer
nuifance in the very fpot here mentioned ; pray
what is meant by a hope of its becoming a cul-
tiva'-ed article in the foil where it grows fponta^
neoufly in great abundance ?
5- " 1 he cape and fea-coaft whofe luxu-
" rious plants are the pomegranate, &c."
Not a pomegranate in all the country, except
what is cultivated in the gardens, at and near Sl
Augufiine.
6. " The main on the weft of Cape River ap-
" pears to be all high land, and is chiefly cover-
*' ed with cedar, oak, mulberry, and gum." No
fuch river as Cape river known to any but this
extraordinary inventor himfelf, nor is there a
fprig of any of the above plants found within
Maany miles of the cape.
7. " In. latitude 25 : 35, the main upon a
" due
( 295 )
" due weft line is a mile acrofs, and there ap-
" pears a river four miles over, which cornes ci-
" ther from Tampe Bay, St. John's river, or is
" the mouth of Hillfborough river, which in
" latitude 26 : 50 takes a S. W. departure."
Every letter of this is a forgery of the brain of
this lunatic writer, no river is found at or near
this latitude, but Rio Rattones above defcribed ^
what a pity it is, tiia: the coDJt<^tures or wifnes
of fuch dreamers did not fometimes become real !
Either of the communications there m.enticned
would open a moft beneficial addition to the eafe
and convenience of our navigation.
8. " No fiih in the white waters round the
" cape, at leafh there were none on May 13 and
" 29, nor is any other animal fpecies there ex-
*' cept fea birds, and the track of only one bear
" was obferved." Every body that is acquainted
with the immenfe variety and quantity of fiih
found here, will naturally imagine, that the ^\i\\
were retired on May 13 and 29, to icme general
council or meeting of the finny nations, and the
gentlemen from providence, who come fometimes
here for the diverfion of hunting a fpecies of
deer peculiar to thefe iilands, and very numerous
on them, can witnefs for m.e how true this laft
affertion is ; not to mention the bald pate, and
fmall American turtle dove, the red bird, the
ftare and American fieldfare, nor the racoon,
which feems here to be an univerfal inhabitant in
vaft numbers, nor the amphibious crocodile and
turtle.
9. '^ No fign of winter cffeft is vifible, nor
" any fhrub or tree fpecies of thofc in the nor-
'* thern climate, &c &c.
How
C 296 )
How well does this agree with the trees men-
tioned in the fixth article, and the impudent
fafelhood of i\\q pomegranate is here a fecond time
introduced with an " of which i had a full proof
'' by the pomegranate, of which the trees are full
" ofblofibms with half ripe and full ripe fruit."
ic. " At Shark's-tail, Middle-river, and the
" head of Cape-river, are a few live oaks," and
in the next article we find " hickory, live oak,
" mulberry, fmooth black yellow pine." The
very choice for timber !
II. This agrees pretty well with the afierticn
in No. 9. The conclufion of theie fine re-
marks, is a recommendation of layingthe land out
in large tra^s^ the very thing which has proved
the means of keeping the country uncultivated.
Can we any longer be furprized at the little,
not to fay perverfe knowledge the people of the
mother-country have of America, when we find
principal officers miifreprefenting fads to the chief
rulers of the land ? I make no doubt but many
good folks, in other offices, have as much mif-
repreiented fadts of another kind, as this maa
has done the defcription of the affairs in the de-
partment he was intruded with.
But if this narrative deferves contempt, and to>
be expofed, the latter production of 1772, with,
its very in:proper title of Atlantic Pilot, evident-
ly bearing marks of inlanity, demands our pity -,
here v;e fee an account of an unnatural change
in the face of the country, which for m.any, rea-.
fons never could have happened but in the brain,
of this Bedlamite, from whence alfo< feems.to.
originate the name of ^egefia -, he turns one pen-
infula into broken iflands, another into funken-
rocks ^.
( 297 )
Tocks i what a havock of jumbling this Hercu-
les makes ! when in this unmeaning chacs he
joins and disjoins, turns water into land, and
land into water, calls the current from Baffin*s
frozen bay, to join with the velocious dream of
Torrid Mexico and Florida •, and again makes
them form a vorttx reverting back to their points
of departure -, magnifies a parcel of pitiful fiats
into a gulph, with the fonorous name of Sand-
wich, or into a lake with the pretorian title of
grand affixed to it, and all this does not coll him
more trouble than a few ftrokes of his inimitable
pen ; nay more, he metamorphofes the hunting
feat of the Prince of Orange into a wolf, and
turns a woman juft delivered from child bed tra-
vail, and her child, into a paradife J.
Not to fay much of his arrogant talfe claim of
his having difcovered the navigation through the
channel, infide of the reef, which numbers of
people, even Englillimen, knew better forty years
ago, than it is likely he ever will know it •, I can-
not forbear mentioning the alteration of well-
known names in a place of fo much danger ; can
the arbitrary impofition of the names of DarU
mouthy Littleton^ Pcwnal^ Hawke^ Egmont, Hun-
tingdon^ Holhourn^ Keppel, Fox, Tcwvjhend^ Ellis^
Oglethorpe Reynolds^ uyfoji^ and about a legion
more, of inferior great and little men, make up
for the miflakes they may occafion ? Or can
thefs
X Key Loo, fo called from the Loo frigate which was caft
away on it, he has changed into Loup, the French name for
a ivolf, and the two keys by the Englifli called Soldier
Keys, from the multitude of thofe animals found on and
near them, are by the Spaniards titled La Parida y Su It-
guela, but this curious raver has called them La Paradixos.
( 298 )
thefe' ilatefmen and heroes cvve him, thanks for
the confufr-ii occafioned by the jumbling of their
names, like dice in a box ? The formation of a
reef, " out of fight of any land," weft of the
dry Tortugas, is lii<ewife a child of his ov/n
brain; and we are apt to think him finding fault
w-th tiie goodnefs of the Creator, in not making
ftioals enough, tor there is no fuch bank any
where wcit of the dry Toriugas.
But his placing foundings ni his draught deep-
er by three feet than they really are ; and his ad-
viiing people who intend to go through the
Gulph of Florida, to take their departure at
the Havannah, and ftecr due north, in order to
make, what he calls, Ca['e Florida, feem.s as if
calculated on purpofe to deftroy fhip, goods and
people ; happy is it for me that our prefent na-
vigauors know the navigation fo well, and for
the benefit of trade i hope his pamphlet will ne-
ver ferve as a guide to any man that is a novice,
and chances to come this way.
As a ipecim.en of his marine knowledge, ob-
ferve him telling us, that at times of a weileriy
v/ind, tlie Atlantic coaft is the moft eligible lee
for navigators who do not chufe to take the
llrcani •, as he has juft before defined this Atlan-
tic coaft to be the Florida fnore, it mufc confe-
qucntly at fuch feafons be the v/eather fnoi-e ;
but ceale to v/onder at this, when i tell you, that
the method of his own, v/hich he refers to, for
taking the variation, is a mechanical one, and
very tedious, and that he did n^t know how to
do i[ aftronomically, by an amplitude of the i^jn,
till i taught him in 1 769. I am almoft weary of
removing all this dirt, and would leave the man
and
( 299 ;
and his performance, but my love for truth in
natural hiflory obliges me to trace him, even
through his prefumptuous rummaging of the
kingdoms of nature, of which he knows as little
as of nautical affairs.
To fupport the ridicuious hypothefis, he has
broached about the change of his a.ncient.TegeJlaj
he fays, amongft other arguments, in page 9»
" myfelf and people, employed by me in this
" fervice" (of which number, i theprefent writ-
er v/as one) " have thcfe three years obferved-
*' mahy places where frefh encroachments ap-
" pear to this effedl : even the vaft quantity of
" Icattered large old trees, wallicd out with their
" roots on all lliores of the iflands, and out in
" the fnallow fea, between the iflands and the
" main, teftify, that they lay on the fpot of tlie
*' former continent and peninfulas, where their
" genus and fpecies formerly flourifhed.'* 1
came through this place four years before I knew
this man, and from that time down to lafl year
i have feen inany changes and alterations in the
pofitions of thefe trees, fome' of which come
down the rivers in Cuba, in land-floods, but
more down the MifTilTipi ; and by the currents
are here forced on th'e reefs and keys ||.
A few of thofe from Cuba being tropical,
might ferve to fupport the reafoning of the At-
lantic Pilot, but many kinds never grew in Flo-
rida ; the coco-nuts found on the fhore likewife
convince us, that Cuba fends much of her outcaft
P p this
II Let us for a moment calculate* how long the worms
will leave fuch a tree as a monument, and we fhall find, that
this, change ofTegej^a, a: Isaft in part, mull have happened
of late years.
( 3^0 )
this way ; but when we confider that nine ont of
ten of the trets thus found are oak, cyprefs, red
cedar, f^lrns, and above ail, beach of the greated
mtfgnitude 'none of which ever grew in this cli-
mate; it is done with Tegejici^ Ihc is fallen never
to rife again !
He has. however this tim! forgot i\\t pomegra-
nate ; but how do we know what is meant by
Papc'.ios, diftinguifhed from Papaw ; fome new
genus in botany, no doubt, has the Spanifli name
of the Papav/ bellowed on it by this excellent
naturalift. Obfcrve him.laft of ail turn fyfte-
matift, when he tells us " that a fpecies of prawn
" (fhrim.ps grov^ing to ^he fize of five pounds"
(he might Iiave faid fifteen " are im^properly
" called lobllers •," 6 Pkilofcphns eximius ! The
lobfter which is the firft in rank among the fa-
milies of Jfihci^ muft here give way to the mofl
diminutive of the whole genus, v/hich is placed
firll, and that forfooih becaufe iwMr.De Erahm'2,
opinion there can be no lobfters without clav/s :
— but enough of -this, let us proceed to the topo-
graphy of Vv/cft Florida.
Tht'rwtiJpalachicolais, the boundary of the
two provinces •, before its mouth eafcward, and
a little weftward, we meet v/ith St. George's
iPiands^ v^ell known for the fiifFerings of Pierre
Vi/!ud, &c. after fhipwreck here. I m.uft re-
mark, that the relation we have of this affair is
a great exaggeration of fafts y people jn that
fituation may fuller, but on a .place like this,
where plenty of fiih, crabs and oyfters are to be
had, as well as water, for the trouble of digging,
their iulFerings cannot be great. Our pity is
much leflencd upon finding a reafonable man fo
debilitated
I ( 301 )
''■debilitated by, fright and defpair, that he cannot
- make ufe of a plenty provided 'by providence.
All along this coaft hfh are in fuch abundance,
that both myfelf and people, when not. inclined
to fifh with a hook and line, have llruck many
)?' hundreds with a flick Iharpened at one end, and
'Hardened in the fire, in lieu of a harpoon ; i
'will not mention much about the exaggeration
of ctiftrefs, which runs through the whole of
this performance-, but the icory of Madame La
Couture bringing a turkey and her eggs, out of
the woods, at the time when relief had reached
her fellow fufferers, appeared to me too palpable
a falfhood to be credited, becaufe th^efe birds were
never found on any ifland from Carolina t*o this
place, except formerly on Amelia iiland ; (which
is feparated from the main only by a little creek>.
in fome places fcarce ten ittt acrofs) but fup-
pofmg one to have been accidentally here, i Vv'ill
readily allow that the eggs m.ay have been found,
and taken by Madame La Couture ; yet as thefe
birds are the moft fhy animal we meet wmui, (info-
much that a- deer, in places where he is frequ';^nt-
ly diflurbed, is incomparably more eafy to com^eat
than tiirkies} certainly fhe muilhave been a more
expert huntreis than ever i heard of before, and
i ili:)uld be after all very m.uch inclined to think
that the poor woman, and her companions, had
miftaken the Mexican vulture for a turkey ; but
that from the-. relation we naturally judge there
VvTre many eggs in the neil, which overiets that
kind of reconciliation : wherefore, finding it was
at the time of thdtlr relief, i went to Mr. Simpfin,
(the interpreter for die fa-,iage4 who was one of
the people in the boat at the time of affording
..Pp 2 help
( 302 )
help to thofe unhappy people, and is a man of ve=
racity) and afked him if it was true that the wo-
man brought in a turkey, and her neft, of which
he and his companions fharcd ; he told me that it
was no other than a crab of the kind called in the
fouthern province a king crab, and to the north-
ward a horfe-ilioe, but he faw no eggs of any
kind. As this fifli bears a diftant refemblance
to a turtle, perhaps Mr. Viaud took it for fuch,
and wrote tcrtite, which may have been tranflat.ed
turtle too, but by a miftake common enough in
printing-cfnces, the comppfitor may have made
it a turkey *, and the corrcdlor, either through
inadvertency, or not confidering how largely he
launched into the marvellous, left it fo.
But to proceed, a little weft of thefe iflands
we find Cape Blaze in latitude 29 : 47, and the
Bay of St. Jofeph, to the N. W. of which is St.
Andrew's Bay, and V/. by N. from here, Santa
Rofa bay and iflands ; in the eaft end of this bay
is Matto Hatcha \ which laft running E. and W,
makes the eaftern fhore of Penfacoia entrance,
An thefe places are very arid, dry fand, near the
coaft \ farther in towards the Upper Creek coun-
try, which is in fome meafure dcfcribed in page
91, it is fcarcely known, but what i have {zti\ of
it
* I find mention made alfoof a hufiard, it is well known
that there is not one of this kind of birds in all America ;
however a hufiard is in French called cutarde, and this is the
name given by the French to the blackhead Canada goofe,
which abounds herein the I'eafon, when Viaud -w^s en this
coaft, this the tranflator leems not to have been informed
pf. I perceived many fymf toms of an imperfed knowledge
©fthe French language, by the tranfiator, however, this is
not a place to point them oat, only out of complaifance to
thefex, i will inform her that eajfe tcte means ^tomahawk.
( 303 )
it is much like Georgia, and the north part of
Eail Florida.
Penfacola has about an hundred and eighty
houles in it, built in general in a good tafte, but
of timber : the town is laid out in an oblong
fquare, near the foot of an hill, called Gage-hill j
and by means of two rivulets of excellent water,
which almoft: furround it, is the beft watered of
any i know on the continent. The harbour is
fpacious, and here are three confiderabie rivers,
viz. Efcambe^ Chefier, and Middle rivers, befides
feveral lagoons and rivulets of no note. Chcfter-
river is full of iflands, great and fmall, abound-
ing prineipally with i\it CtipreffusThyoidcs. Micldle-
nwr communicates with ievcral lakes ; the water
of this river is fo cold, that the favages call it
Weewa Ccifnpka^ which in the Creek language
fignifies cold water. The Efcambe is navigable a
confidcvable way up, but rapid, and about twen-
ty miles from Penfacola we begin to meet with
fome fpots of fertile land, variouHy timbered.
Twenty-eight miles from the town, and on the
banks of this river, on an eminence, are the re-
mains of a Spanifh out-guard, or ftocado fort ;
about fevcnty-eight miles from, town, this river
forks, a bianch called Weeuva Oka, or IVeeoka^
by us little Scambe, coming from the N. W. runs
into the main riiTr; this branch where it is
crolTed is about fixty feet wide, and the ford is
a bottorn of fmall gravel, which is not common
here ; the road that croffes it leads from Penla-
cola to the Upper Creek natior> ; the difbance is
two hundred and ten miles ; and the heads of
thefe rivers are all within a fewmJles of the favage
towns. Fourteen miles farther weft from Pen-
facola, is the Rio Perdido, or loft river, of incon-
fiderable
( 3^4 )
fieierable length and navigation •, and about for-
ty miles weil of ch;s, wc meet w'lih Mobile^ Tom-
he'ckh; and 'Taenfa, bay and rivers ; into which lad
tiie J.ibnnj., or CQoJa river falls. All the coun-
try h>:t:--vc.a tliis ia(t river and Cksjl n^' -river ^ and
proh,:.bly uU to /ipdachiccla is v^:!■y favourable
for itecks of ca^r' : : •- ■-• :; •^-,; ;- ^ ':;•, nclies,
m;v-d in the p: . ■ vctdlcnt
tood, and tliey mviitiniy jjy. Lovers
Oi 'minute geography, ,b -'S '^T iii-ps»
will Bnd that the Ipv/er piirt oi the coaft between
Mobile bay and Perdido, and fo on to Frnfacola^
may eafily be made navigable for boats in land,
there being already a roiling road ont of the ri-
ver Bonfecour^ into a creek running into Perdido i
but this being mere matter of ipeculation we
mail leave the pr:.(ftici'ipart to fome tucure ge-
neration. The country- weft froiri A ■chHt bay, to
Ptita Albany^ or Bean-earn p, at \ :repas^ is
much of the fame kind as, that a..^..-.; ...icribed j
cnly we find more fertile planting ground 'in it.
The timber here is nearly the lane :::• ir: the north
part of Ha It- Florid a •, but it h^-. -. / ■. remark,,
t: ^ ■ :": : :.e of the Br^r^^us^ or Czood^i tree, is
:'' .\y this whole extent from /Ipalackia
V7^:;i\ ■,,!';; ; whicii docs not ^l . -. ' ' '' v.h a re-
port in a i-u-"r to a certain G:^:. ',z\ Eiq;
!"■ ;'■' ' h'f^ory of Ficrida, -^vh^re he fays,
i.'.' \ .-^e trees along this coail, rear their
l.jf:y heads above all others ; but lb curious a
-cit-ce as this pamphlet is oughc not to 'be ran-
li^ked, i will therefore proceed to give fjme ex-
trs.3rs from my journals through the v/eftern parts
of vYeft Florida, as being the beil way to give
my reader a true idea of this country.
In
C 3<^5 )
In the follow ing pages the diftances are ac-
curately meaiiired, by luch methods as circum-
llances permitted.
On Saturday the 20ih September, '177 1, at
4 P. M. i left MchiU^ and encamped that r.ig.hc
in pine land, near a fpring to tlie north of the
path, and at the foot e?f an hill, fix miles from
town, to the weft a little by foiith.
2 1 ft. Opaya Mingo ^ a Chicafaw v/arrior, of our
train, was this morning fick, on which occahon
i faw one of his companions cut his temples with
a flint, and applying a cane about four Inches
long, to i\\^ fcarihcation, fuck it till he nearly
filled it with blood, then threw it out, and re-
peated it fevcral times-, this is fomethinglikc cup-
ping V we were obliged to leave thefe two behind,
and proceeded this day chiefly to the N. W.
through pine land, and encamped this night at
the head of a branch of Dog-river, fifteen miles
and three quarters from tov/n.
22'd. CrofiedTeveral creeks, and headed others,
running all eaftward ;. we advanced twenty miles
and a half through' pine land, and encamped
near a creek called pine logg ; in the afternoon
we came to the firft confiderable afcent, y.diere
the ground is gravelly, here the road goes of to
Toani.
23d. This mornirg v/e went over a very nar-
now- ridge, leaving Dog-river on the left, and
Tordbechbe on the- right of us. Crolled feveral^
heads of cane branches, running diiferent ways •
faw^many grals pondc, and Indian camps, and
crolTed a large cane branch, called by the Chac-
taws Coofak Hattak falaya ; proceeded cleveni
miles and encamped on the waters of Fffca Or-
( 3o6 )
esloo river; here faw a good deal of chellnut and
other timber, befides pine trees.
24th. This morning we came paft Ibme good
low grounds, and faw the firft oaks of the kind
caMeci black jacks : crofied feveral creeks, and
went through fome fwamps and oak land -, en-
camped near a branchy and here faw the hiero-
glyphick No. i, in page 108, advanced this day
twenty-one miles.
25th. This morning we had a great deal of
rain, which continued by fliowers all day ; the
two favages left behind joined us. We advanced
but nveViiles and a half-, encamped this night
about tv/o miles W. S. Weftward from the path,
near a lake abounding in excellent fifli, particu-
larly pikes, perch, and red eyed chubs, of a ve-
ry fuperior iize.
26th. Being rainy v;e lay by, and recruited
our provifion with abundance of fifli, two deer,
and two turkies.
27th. Went over a good deal of gravelly
ground, modly pine land, and encamped at Bo-
giie Hooma, (i. e. , Red Creek, our boundary with
the Cha6taws ; here v/e faw the firil rocks on the
fouth fide of the creek : v/e travelled only eleven
miles and a quarter ; the creek being _ very high
we v/ere obliged to fpend a great while in ferrying
our goods, and fwimming our horfes over j the
ftream runs weftward •, — ihot three turkies.
2SLh. After fix rniles travelling, we came to
oak-land, being fnort hills, and all day we found
the land pretty much niixed •, — crofied many
fprings and rivulets •, — law the head of a favage
iiuck on a pole, widi many other marks of our
being on the theatre of war -, v/e left the road to
Chicafawhay
( 307 )
Chicafawhay on the left ; — all this aftemoort wc
leave a confiderable ftream on our right, running
N. eaftward : — advanced this day fifteen miles
and a quarter, the laft three or four' miles the
land was chiefly oak-land : at night we encamp-
ed at a war-camp, near a branch running inta
the above ftream, from which we were one and
an half mile to the weft, ufing the ordinary pre-
cautions *.
29th. Afcended and defcended feveral confi-
derablyfteep hills ; found the land mixed, chief-
ly oak \ at three o'clock went through the fa-
vannah called Foos coos Pci'dhaw^ about one mile
and an half acrofs, with here and there fome
points of v/ood land on it ; and again crofted
fome hilly oak land •, and after thirteen miles
travel encamped near a branch of Pajca Occcko
fiver i here a very plain path goes eaftward.
N. B. The water in the favannah has a
tafte of lime.
3.0th. Almoft Jis foon as we left cam.p we crof<
{tdi a branch of Bogue ait bee Tanne, vulgarly Bak-
katan':^ having the low land of this river con»
ftantly in fight, about half a mile to our left ;
travelled chiefly through pine land, and fomtc
hurricr.ne ground f, and after journeying eleven
miles and three quarters, we encamped at Hos-
fah Ullah^ (i. e.) the noify owl, where we faw
the hieroglyphick No. 2, page 102.
I ft O(fl;ober, went through a vaft variety of
hilly, ftony, boggy, fwampy and oak land j pal^ •
fed fome very elevated hills, and crofted feveral
Q^q rivukt^
■ ; ' 1^
* S«e page 189. f Tradls of wood formerly- deftroye4
by hurricanes are fo called.
( 3o8 )
rivulets : encamped at Oku Ullah (i. e.) the noijy
water, a creek ; having gone twenty-two miles
and an half this day, we pafled by three graves
within the fpace of three quarters of a mile from
each other, the firft of a foldier of a detachment
that went to fort I'ombeehbe, the fecond of a fa-
vage, who went by the name of rum-drinker, af-
ter whom the hill is called rum drinkers hill ;
and the third of one Mr. Brown, a very confider-
able trader in the Cha6taw and Chicafaw nations.
2d. At four miles diftance from our lafl night's
cncapment we croffed Pancka Waya^ the laft wa-
ter running to the fouth-weft, and two miles
further we left the path going to Coofa on our
left. Our road all this day led through the fame
kind of rugged, uneven, llony, gravelly and
fwampy ground as yefterday, as alfo a hurricane
ground and fcrub hill ; fome of the flones we
faw were very large, and the hills confiderably
elevated: having travelled eighteen miles and
ihree quarters, we encamped a quarter of a mile
weft of a Chadlaw village called Paonte^ near a
delightful fpot, but deferred on account of the
war; here we got fome peaches, plumbs, and
grapes •, fix miles W. S. W. from the camp is
the Coofa town, of Chaftaw. A ll:iowery day.
3d. Very heavy rain from midnight till noon,
at two miles and an half from our camp left the
road going to Hadnka Ullah (i. e.) the bawling
goofe, a cha6law town, to the left ^ travelled on-
ly four miles and an half through mixed but
pretty even land, and encamped near a branch
of Book ban Hatcha river, the ftreams being very
high the ferriage delayed us much.
4th. This day we met fome traders and favages,
and
( 3^9 )
and travelled through feveral deferted fields, and
one deferted town, called Sapa-Pefah : the ground
is generally very uneven ; — here we croiTed feve-
ral paths, and were joined by three Chaftaw fa-
vages, who extricated us from a great difficulty,
as we found no convenient logs to ferry us over
a large branch of Soak hanaicba, till they fhewed
us a place half a mile down the ftream ; and for
a fmall confideration ferried our goods over,
while we fwam our horfes acrofs : having travel-
ed ten miles and three quarters, we encamped on
the north bank of this ftream, called Hatchalipke^
5th. We came after half a mile's journey to a
delcrted town, called Eiuck Chukke (i. e.) Blut
Wood. This morning, at day-break, we heard ^
the report of fire arms, at a little diftance, which,
being very often repeated, we foon guelTed it was
what we found it to be a little while after ; that
is, an a6lion •, the lavages always attacking either
at day-break, or at fun-fet •, crofled many paths
and fields, and after ten miles and an half jour-
ney, we found one of the victorious Chaftaws,
prefenting us the frelli fcalp of one of his ene-
mies. Here were the firft inhabited houfes, be-
ing a kind of fuburb to the town of eaft Ahecka ;
here we crofTed the branch of Sookhanatcha river,
which gives name to all the reft, and at a mile
and an half further, wc came to the town itfelf,
and put up at the houfe of an old trader, called
Hewitt, and were civilly treated by both favagcs
and whites. Of the firft we found here three
chiefs, not a little exulting in their late vidtory,
and the women in every part of the town were
performing their favage orgies and dances; we
Olq 2 ftaid
( 3IO )
llaid here till the 9th, when part of my compa-
ny proceeded to the Chicafaw nation.
9th. Agreed with a very worthy young man,
one Mr. George Doiv^ to lerve m^e as a guide
through the Cha6i:aw nation •, and that day wc
went through Eheetap-Oococla^ a town on a hill,
where the favages have a large ftockade fort in
their o^vn manner. Such there are alfo at Ahei-
ka, which two places are the frontiers againft the
Creeks. Vv^e went this day fouth weftward,
through Chooka-hcola^ part of Oka-hoolah^ through
Hoola-tajpz^ which iaft is four miles from Abccka ;
then nearly fouth three miles more to the ridge
of eall Moka-Lnja^ then about a mile and an
Iialf weftward to Eleetaf-oocoolo-cho^ where we
ftopt at the houfe of one Fojler, a trader ; then
went nearly S. E, for two miles, and came to the
middle of eaft Moka Lajfa ^ from here continued
S. E. a little m.ore than two m.iles, and. entered
lla'dnka-Vliah \ ftill went on the fame courfe for
a mile and a quarter, and then were at the mid-
dle of faid town, and refr(?fhed ourfelves for an
hour. The tov7n of Oka Locfa lays S. E. three
miles from here \ then returned, in around about
manner, through another road, back to |vlr. Fof-
3'^r's houfe, where we flept. |
ioth. Proceeded firft W. N. V\^. a'dout two
miles, afterv/ards W. S. W. for a mileand a
quarter-, this brought us into Oka-£iUakkdfir^~~a^
neat little place for a town of favages ; went
about a quarter ot a mile into it, and put up at
the houfe of Mr, Vow^ my guide. About three
miles W. S. W. from this are the ruins of Eciii
Congcita, defcroyed in the civil v/ar of thefe peo-
ple., by the weilern party. Hitherto travelled
' ' chieflv'
' ( 311 )
chiefly through corn-fields ; wc lay here till the
2 ift, partly to refreili our horfes, and partly on
account of a violent fever, which i was troubled
•with ; during this time agreed with a favage to
join us as a guide to the S. W. of the nation, his
name was Pccfcoos-Mingo^ or king of the children,
alii. Went S. weftward, a mils and an half
into Tanatoe^ crofiing many paths, and feverai
old, as well as fome cultivated helds, which lay
intei fperfed in the woods ; crofTed Bague-fooka^
and the heads of Fcreetamogns^ with feverai other
creeks, and after riding fomething better than
itYtn miles and an half, moilly S. W. we afcend-
ed a long hill, fteep in its liril rifing, and when
on its top we had the view cf a high ridge, to
N. W. with a deep valley between them. Vvent
fouth, and after a mile and a half croflcd Bogtte
Chiik!^ a large creek, which runs S. E. into the
river Bogue-aithe-'Tanne^ in three quarters of ^
mile mere w."nt through the deferted old field of
Coofak Baloaglazv ; abimt a mile and a half fur-
ther we croffed a creek of that name, emptying
into Bogue-ChittJ : a quarter of a milt further we
crolTcd a large pond upon a beaver dam, and in
half a mile more Hopped to bait, at a creek cal-
led Poofcoos te Kalc^ in a deferted village of that
nam.e. At near three o'clock proceeded S. W.
by W. after a little more than two miles, crofTed
a deferted field called PoofcGos tekals^ Hoca •, tw©
miles and three quarters further croffed TalU Kat-
ta^ a large branch of Chicafaw-hay river, then
came into pine land, for the firil timx of thefe
fourteen days : went fouth, a little weilerly, and
came to camp at a place, where we found fome
.7ld camps convenient, near the head of a branch
ot
( 3^2 )
of T^.lle Hatta •, having this day travelled tv/en-
ty-two miles and an half, all in v^oods.
2 2d. We travelled through various kinds of
wood, and lomething of uneven ground, chiefly
to fouth ; and at twelve miles from our camp we
croiTcd a river near eighty feet wide, here laid to
be the principal branch oi Chicafdwhay river;
and is called Aitheefiika ; the ford is a flat rock,
the land on each fide here is pine land, and rifes
h;gh above the bed of the river : continue in pine
lard four miles and a half more, then come into
low land, crois fume creeks and favannahs, and
after having travelled twelve miles more, chiefly
S. E. from the river, i came to camp on the
fide of a pine hill. My weaknefs not fufi^ering
me to go further, i ordered our people forward
to Chicafawhay , to provide necellaries, except one
lad, whom [ kept to accompany me.
23d, South eailward through fome hurricane
and^other uneven ground for five miles and an
half, then went through intervale for a mile and
a half, at the end of this we go up a confiderable
hill, from whofe top we fee'a very high blue ridge
to E. and S. E. a great way from us, and at the
end of nine miles and three quarters we arrived
at Chicafawhay^ and flayed at the houfe of Ben
Jaines.
24th and 25th. Employed in going to and
coming from Toani. I^he road that leads to this
place is chiefly pine and llirubby oak land: at
live miles from Chicafawhay, a iniddling branch
of Chicafawhay is crolTcd : it is called Owhan
lowy ; judging this fufF-cient to give an idea of
the iiiCQ of the country here, i fliall only fubjoin
that on the 7th November, having made a cir-
cuit
( 3^3 )
cult of the nation, v/e returned to Hewitt^s hoiife
at Jbecka, our road from Chicajawhay, leading
chiefly through fine improved, and many among
them rich fields, and a large number of con-
fiderable towns and villages of the favagcs.
loth November, having difmiffed Poofcoos-
Mingo, we went to the Chicafaw nation, through
a road leading in general over ftiff clay land ;
faw very little elfe but white oak, and that no
where tall, occafionedby the ftiffncfs of the land -,
crofied only two rivers of note, one Najloooba, the
other Oka tebbee haw ; no remarkable afcent or
defcent on the whole road •, croffed many favan-
nahs, the diftance is about an hundred and fifty-
nine miles from Abeeka, to the Chicafaw towns ;
(defcribed in page 6-^) where we arrived on the
i«th November, and put up at the houfe of one
Buckles, a trader : our courle hitherto has chiefly
been north. Here i fl:ayed till the 8th Decem-
ber, and obferved this houfe to lie in nearly 35''
north latitude.
I cannot help relatl;ig in this place an anec-
dote of Mr. Commiflary in this nation : th'is
Gentleman had engaged to me, and prom.ifed Mr.
Stuart, that i fhould have all the neceffiry af-
fiftance i might want ; i went to his plantation,
which lays at Pacn titack, eleven miles from the
place where he ought to refide, and to my afton-
ifliment i was here treated worfe than in any place
i had been at : fo far ' from providing horles,
which v/as one of the articles i wanted, i was
obiigird to give him one back, which i had bor-
rowed at the Cha<5law, in lieu of one that failed
me. I faw clearly, that i was an unwelcome
gucfl: in every refpeft x however, i procured
frOim
( 314 )
from him a recommendatory note, to the above
Buckles, and he told me that Buckles knew ojf
two canoes, the choice of which i might have
for my intended voyage, down the river j but
when i fpoke to Mr. Buckles on. the fubjed, he
denied ever having fpoke about any canoes, nor
did he know of any, and as to the note, i might
have any thing i wanted on my own credit, by
giving an order on Mr. Stuari ; but with the
commilTary he had nothing to do. Thus i was
obhged to do all myfelf at laft ; this is in fome
mealure an inftance of the inu«tility of the com-
miffary's office ; i fent Mr. Boiv v/ith three ne-
groes to the river, to make a canoe. During
my flay here, on the firfl December, it began to
freeze very hard ; on the fourth the ice in lowzn-
creek was four or five inches thick ; and on the
6th in the morning we could fcarce keep water
from freezing in a clofe houfe, and near a good
lire ; but i law no fnow during ail tlie time of
my flay. Nothing was more entertaining thaii
rhe furprizc of the favages, at feeing me take ob-
fervations of the folar altitude, the m.ercury i ufcd
for an artificial horizon, was a matter of" great
wonder to them, particularly, when i fhewed
them its divifibility, and the fucceeding cohe-
(ion of the globules.
8th December, in the afternoon i proceeded
from Buckles's houfe, and travelled E. by S.
nearly five miles and a h.df •, then crolTed Nohoo^
la-indcktibha, or the town Creek, mentioned in
page 63^ then went about S. S. E. for a mile
and a quarter more, and encamped on a hill,
near a fmall lake, in v/hich we heard all night a
great number of ducks,. We met this day eleven
favages
( 3-15 )
favages, of the Creek nation, and three mofe of
the Natchez, s^^ho live with the Upper Greeks,
coming through the Chkafaw field, with the
Death Whoop : they had lurprized a hunting
camp oi Cha^awSi on a branch of the river Taa-
■fo')^ called Tdle Hatcha^ ^ a time when the hun-
ters were abfent, and took avv'ay all their (kin^s,
two horlcs, and five women of the Cbacchooma
tribe, belonging to wefl: Congeta^ in th^ Cha^aw
nation : they took Care not to ftay for the return
<>f the men, as the camp irtdicat<*d them to be
fiumerous •, but becaufe they had not a fcalp to
^ew, thde devils incarnate had fcalped the el-
deft of the women they carried into captivity, yet
Jet the wretch live, and fhe was onie of the num-
ber we faw. The Chiccifaws were all abroad
that day -, but i obfervcd by the behaviour of
fome fuperannuated fellows, that they difliked
the Creeks behaviour of bawling the Death JVhcop
through the field \ and having afked the reifon, i
was told, that as they were neutrals in this war,
they .did not like to give umbrage, which the
Cha^a-ws might take at this, and if their men
had been at home, they would not have fuffered
this fmall viftonbus party to make ufe 6f this
kind of triumphal entry liere; thus we fee thefe
i^avages ilri6bly obferving a neutrality in form.
9tn. Proceeded, and at 3 miles, faw a large tu-
inuhis^ which was the only remarkable thing in
this road, we went over one fteep hill, and croi-
fed three or four branches, and the laft two miles
and a half of the road we faw much pine mixed
with the oak •, having travelled nearly twentjr
three miles on a courfe S. E. by S. we arrived
*bout four o'clock P. M. on the bank of To^-
R r hechbi
( 3 »6 )
hechhe river^ here called the tw<*nty rftife creelc/
loth. Examined the eanoe, but found her too
heavy for our purpofe, therefore difpatched Mr*
Dow (who knew the ground, and was well ac-
quainted with the woods) to fee if he could not
find fomc canoe of the favagcs ; he found one
about noon, in the mouth of Nahoola inakhubba^
two miles and a half weft from our camp, there-
fore went and encamped on the bank of faid
creek -, the oppofite bank was very high fteep
hills, above hundred and twenty feet perpendi-
cular, and Ibme pines on their fummits -, found
the canoe a very lorry one, but it being Hopfon\
choice, muft venture in her.
I ith. We fpent in fitting our craft •,■ fmce the
7th we had very bad weather here, one hour it is
fliarp, clear, and intenfely cold, the next cloudy,
fultry, with lightning,' thunder, rain and hail, the
wind veering round the horizon in an incredible
manner, which made my fituation very difagree-
able.
1 2 th. We had fome tolerable weather, and
iinifhcd fitting our boat, but fhe was fo miferablc
a tool, that i believe few men would have ven-
tured in her.
13th. All the company retiirned to the nation
with thchorfes; kept only Mr. Bow, and my
fervant, to be the companions of this fluvial ex-
pedition ; while we ftaid here we caught fome
beavers. At half an hour paft one, P. M. we
proceeded from our camp in Nahoola Inalchuhba^^
or Town Creek, and in twenty minutes were in
t^e river. We paffed one bluff, where the
French formerly had a fortified trading houfe,
about one mile below the mouth of the creek, on
the
( 317 )
l^e weft bank ; we paffed one creek on each fide,
and left three fmall gravelly iflands on our left 5
for the reft of the land was low on both fides ; —
having come five miles and an half we came t&
camp on a fand bar at half an hour paft three,
P. M. the river pretty rapid, and found only one
log, which detained us a quarter of an hour.
14th. Pi-oceeded at ten o'clock, A. M. in half
an hour paft a bluff on the eaft fide, and in half
an hour more found a very tall eyprcfs laying a-
crofs the river, by which we were detained an
hour ; but cutting the top away we paffed on ;
about three quarters of an hour after had fome
pine land * on the weft bank •, in general the
land on both fides is low. About two o'clock
P. M. paft a fmall iftand ; about lialf an hour-
after two the bank on the weft fide was about
feventy feet high •, [| continued- between pretty-
high banks till folf an hour after three, v/hen
we encamped on a high fand bar, on the weft
fide of the river, current unequal, and the
obftrudions of no note, fince we cut the tree j
travelled this day nine miles.
15th. Departed half an hour paft ten o'clock
A. M. pail feveral iflands, and found the bank,
on the weft fide, in many, places high, we faw in
many others high and intervale oak land; — not-
fo much drowned land as the former days ; —
pafl^ed through feveral rapids, and at half an hour
paft three, P. M. came tacamp at the^end of a
* When the pine is mentioned hereabouts, I mean the.
^inui Abies Virginiana^ conis paryis fubrctundis , or the baliu
fif Gilead pine.
!l N, B. The wver was high.
R r 2 iarg©
( 3 '8 )
large high pine bluff, on the eaft fide, Isoving '
iravelled this day fifteen miles.
1 6th. At half an hour pall nine o'clock, A.
M. proceeded and came pait a variety of higl^;
and low land j ihot fome dycks and teals -, bat
unfortunately this forenoon lotl our gun, being
torn out of mv hands by a fnag of a tree, and
as it funk in deep water, it was irrecoyerable, the
river being rapid. About two o'clock P. M.
paft a Ihort hill, on the well fhore, upwards o{-
dghty feet high above the prefent level of the
water j— palTed a few creeks and lagoons, threes
iflands and feveral rapids t, we came down four--
"^een miles and three quarters, and at half an hour.
paft three, encamped on the eaft fide in an ho-l-
low. '""'
17th. Proceeded a quarter before nine A. IVl
and in lefs than half an hour faw a hill, a little
inland, on the weft fide ; and an hour after this
we had the mouth of a river on the eaft, this is
called, at its fording place,, in the trading parlv
the laft branch of Tqmi?echbe ; none of the banks
we paft this morning were very low, and on the
weft fide, oppofite this mouth of a river, the
banks fifty or fixty feet higher than the prefent
furface of the water. The weather being icvcre-
ly cold i was obliged to go on ftiore and make a
fire, on this highland, half a mile below the
above river, near the mouth of a ftony creek,'
which we took to be the Sonac 'Tocale^ which wer!
had croffed in the road going up ; here we re-
mained till noon. We pafTed three iflands this
day, and the general run of the land is midd-
ling high on both fides. The weather was very
feverej which obliged us to encamp at gne o'clock,
^ ■ "'- " ' m.
( ^^9 ^y
m chc moiAth. of a creek, calfed Old Town Greds^
at the foot of an hillV riftng about feven«y feet-
out of the water, having come about fcven miles :
it rained very hard s.!! the afternoon, and th6
fjextnwo' days, by which means we kept in camp
trli the
^oih, at noon. Half a mile from our camp
the high' land ends, ard we travelled but one
hour and^ twenty minutes, when the feverity of
ithe weather obliged us again to cncamip, having
come fix miles, and in that diftance found chiefly
iow land : paft four iflands, aiid as many rapids,
one of them a bad pafs : our camp was on a
piece of fine rich, middling high land, which Mn
Dgw- reported to be very cxtcnfive. We lay here
on account of bad weather j fuch as cold, rain
and fnow, till the
26th, when at a little pail twelve We deparfed.
During our flay here the water gained near four
feet in height : m one hour and an half, hav-
mg gone near five miles, and pail fix or feven
iilands and rapids, we were at the mouth of the
river Oca T'ibehatv^ the lower road between the
ChcSaivs- and Cbicafa'ws ; — c roiled this river
about two miles above this place ; — about one
mile below this, having pa{l an iiland, we faw
a very remarkable bluff on tlic weft fide, rifmg.
above fifty feet out of the prefent level of thd
water-, this is near a mile and a half long ;, the
bluff is covered principally with Juniper^ or ce-
dar fnrubs, and in it are two or three gullies, in
which as many fprings comie trickling down for
about two thirds of its length : a bank projefts
put at its foot, having a fiat and very even fur-
face, without any plants, (a li'de grafs excepted),
'"" ; ' growing-
( 320 )
growing thereon. This furfacc projefts zhcmt
pine or ten feet from the bluff into the river, and
was about eight feet above the level of the wa-
ter, it looks as if made by art, and if placed near
any town of ijote, i do not doubt would be much,
ufed as a walk. The bluff ends in two little
hills, and $ fmall ifland is at the lower end of it ^
all which, added to its being in the form of a cref-
cent, makes it have a very romantic appearance.
From hejice we went pad one rnore bluff, a con-
fiderable ifland, and a rapid -, in which laft we
had low pine land on the eaft bank, and got into,
the mouth of a creek, ca,Iled e;leven mile creek,
which we went up half a mile, and at three P.
M. we were forced by the rain to come to camp,
having travelled this day, ten miles and a half.
27th. The rain obliged us to lay by all day.
28th. At II o'clock we embarked, and had
more rapids to go thro' than on any of the formei:
days; likewife faw rnore high l.and than before.
J think it remarkable, that >ye fee fo^ very few
outv/acerings of creeks, or rivers, into, the great
river. An hour and an ha|f after leaviiig camp,
we faw a bark log, juft landed on the vyeft fide,
3nd evident marks of people haying jyft landed ;
this was in a long reach, and we had feen a Imoak,
but when we came near the bark }og, the fmoak
vaniflied all at once. We foon found thefe people
$j be a war party of Creeks, v/ho perceiving
our boat, had pur out their fire, which on thefe
pccafions they make of hickory bark and other
giiy matters, that yield little fmoak. We there-
fore put on our hats, which we had not on be-
fore, it being a fine agreeable day, and rather
warm, and laying on the paddles, did all we
could
( 3^t )
*ou!d to {hew that we were white people, tt wa5
fortunate for me that i had not brought a favag4
guide with me, which would have expofcd us to
a volley from thofe warriors ; We did not fee
them, but we knew by the fupprcffion of the
fmoak, that they had difcovcred us ; they were
undoubtedly on the top of a pretty high bankj
in ambufh, fo we let the boat flow paft them.
N. B. We have difcovered many of thofe bark
logs, made of cones, both above and below
this place, upon which the war party ferry over.
Half a mile lower down we faw the mouth of a
middling large creek, on the eaft fide. We paft
four iflands this day, in two hours and an half's
time. We faw one of the high favannahs, which
bounds here on the river, with a delightful graflTy
bluff: the river is here above two hundred fe<^t
wide. Having come twenty three miles, we en-
camped at four o'clock, on a gravel bar. We
faw many places that appeared like old fields, as
having been formerly cultivated.
29th. At nine o'clock proceeded; the firft
half hour we pafTed chiefly through drowned
lands, and then came to a large lagoon, going
to N. W. in which were innumerable gccfe and
ducks •, but the weft bank of the lagoon is a
handfome bluff. In half an hour more we came
to a creek's mouth on the weft : we faw again
fome fpots bearing marks of former cultivation,
and more of drowned land •, the river in general
this day rapid, with many iflands : at half an
hour piaft three, P. M. having travelled thirty-
five miles, we encamped on the eaft fide, in a
lagoon, on a high bank, where, for the firft
time, we faw the rich ground clear of large canes •,♦
this
this being timbfred, chiefly with the lliag bark
hickory, iron wood and Spanifh oak.
30th. This morriiag we had our boat Joaden,
but it began to rain, and thus were obliged to
unlo.id again. Here we found a canoe which
was well made, but had been by the favages, oh
account of the war, fcuttkd, and -rendered unfit
for ufe, however we found, that if we could make
her any ways tight, llie would be more f ;fe than:
the one we had, and this we -cffefted by the help
of wedges, clay and leather. Our provifions
beginniiig to grow fcar^t, and having loft the on-
ly rrun i had taken with me, i began to be un-
tdfy, cfpecially as we found the beavers become
kfs plenty. The weather was uncommonly bad
till the evening of the third of January, 1772,
when it cleared up, and next morning
4th January, 1772, #t a quarter before 11 o'
clock, A. M. we proceeded in our new craft j
and by half an hour palt one, F. M. we had paf^
high banks, and twoiilands : at this hour we had'
6nc of the favannahs on the weft fide, the bank
being here about four feet out of the water : at a
?j;u:'.rter before four we were at a confiderable
ifiand, having gone fince the laft favannah bet-
Sveen lo-f/ banks •, a quarter before five o'ckjck
came to camp under a low biutf, on the eaft fide.
The canoe proves very leaky, and on unloading
we find a great deal of our bread fpoiled. This
day came twenty-two miles and an half, the cane^
and timber are here exceeding large.
5th. At a quarter paft ten embarked: high
bmks on both fides. At half an hour after
eleven, piift the mouth of a river from the eaft ;
this is called by the favages Najh{haw. The
laa'i
( 3^3 )
land here is exceeding rich, the canes very Isrg^;
and we faw a fpecies of phafeolus, in- great abun»
dance, along the banks. About a mile and a
quarter below the creek, we met four favages
from Abska, in the - ChaSiaw nation, to whoni
Mr. Dow was known. The river has rifcn con-
fiderably fmce yefterday ; the current has been
for thcfe two days almoil uniformly at the rate
of three miles per hour. It is remarkable, that
though the velocity of our way was not mucH
above two miles per hour, independent of the
current, yet we had feveral inflances of having
evidently out-run the flood at night, in fo much
tliat it would fcarce reach us again before morn-
ing. We came to camp near the favages above-
mentioned, having come feven miles and an half}
they had a good canoe v/hich i intended to pur-
chafe. The weather v/as very cold to day. Loll
a filverfpoon at our laft camp, which Mn Dow
propofed to go and fetch; but he found it im-
practicable to crofs the 'Ncijbehaiv river. I agreed
with the faVrtges that tliey fhould hunt for us to
procure provifions. At night it- rained-, ouf
camp was on the eaft fide, in a very rich foot.
We have not yet feen any land or gravel, ext:eps
en the bars and ifiands in the rivcr, the foil in
general being clay, or loam, with a dry black
«K)uid.
6ch. After a great deal of perfuafion, i bought
the canoe from the favages; and they- brought
me in two deer, and a turkey -, for all v/hich i
gave them five yards of blue ftrouds, two p<>W-
der 'horns, a knife, and fome fmall {liot. I de-
fcribed our lail camp to them, and defired them
to look for the abovcmentiohed-fpoon, idircifling
$ ( then;
( 3H )
them to leave it in their own country, with Mr.
Dow's partner, who lived juft by their homes,
and gave them a note to him, defiring him to pay
them for their trouble -, but when they under-
ftood it to be the white ff one (i. e.) filver, they
declined going purpofely for it ; but promifed,
if chance led them to the place to carry it as di-
rc(5led, for they, not being able to work it, in
cafe the trader refufed to pay them, they would
iofe their labour •, but had it been the fat of the
earth (i. e.) lead or pewter, in that cafe they
might make bullets, or ear-rings of it, and then
they would not take pains in vain : towards even-
ing they left us, and during night we barbecued
our venifon, to preferve it.
7th. At half an hour paft feven o'clock A. M.
embarked in our new craft •, all day we pall be-
tween, high banks, fome lleep, fome (loping; {c~
veral as high as eighty feet above the furface of
the water •, one of thefc has an extenfive favan-
nah on the tap. At the end of nineteen miles
and an half, on the wcil: fide, we faw the mouth
of the river Noxfhuhby, or Hatcha Gofe, its banks
arc high on both fides : liere feems to be the true
theatre of the war, for the bark logs are very
numerous. The river is widened now from two
hundred to two hundred and fifty feet. A mile
and a half below the mouth of Nex/huhby is tlig
fii-fl bluff of arid ochre, like earth, very high
and fceep -, and about eight miles lower a white
one, being a kind of llone almofi: as foft as
.chalk. Tov/ards evening; we met with feveral
fand bars, and little ifles. At four o'clock P.
M. we came to camp on a low fpot, on the eall-
fide, having gone done the river forty-two miles
and
(.325_)
and a half; all day dull weather, and at night
rain.
8th. Proceeded half an hour after 8 A. M. and
having gone. a little more than a mile, we reached
the mouth of the creek called E£fombogue be (i. e.)
Crooked Creek, on the well fide-, from this'
creek's name the French derive their Tombechbey
the name of the fort which Hood here, and which
has again given that name to thie whole river.
We went about half a mile further down, under
a high and fteep bank of chalky (lone, and ar-
rived at the ruins of the fort, by means of which
the French kept all the favages in awe. I went
afhore in the old fields, and drew a view of the
ruins -, this is about forty miles eaft from the town
of Abeeka. The river is not fixty feet wide. here.
About a mile and a half below thefc ruins is a
pretty high, but floping (laty bluif : having
come about nine miles, we arrived at a hunting
camp of ChaSfa-ws^ on the weft fide ; who invited
us on fhore, treated us very kindly, and fpared
us fome venifon, bear's meat and oil. The af-
ternoon being ftormy, with hail and rain, we en-
camped at a fmall diftance from them :.the canes
v/ere not very plenty here, but the land rich : a
great deal of the plant called Indian Hemp grows
in this place ; but the feafon deprived me of the
fatisfadion of knov/ing what genus it is of,
. 9th. At half an hour paft eleven proceeded,
and in an hour and a quarter we pafled by Cbic-
kianoec, a white bluff, with a favannah on its top,
on the weft fide ; it is upwards of feventy feet
high above the water's level : we paft feverai
high bluffs, among which one is yellow like
Ockre, We faw many bars aUb, and lagoons :
having
( 3^6 )
having travelled twenty-four miles, came to camp
at four o'clock P. M. on the eaft fide, at the
beginning of a fteep flaty bluff.
loth. At half an hour pad nine, A. M, pro-
ceeded ; we went between high bluffs, and in
two hours time came to the mouth of Tufcaloofa
river from the eaft; and a little below it is the
fteep white cjulky bluff, on v/hofe top is a vaft
plain, and fome remains of huts in it-, the bluff
is called the Ckicafow GaUiry^ becaufe from here
the favages ufed to annoy the French boats go-
ing up to the fort, or down from it. The. river
is hereabouts full of rapids, and bad paffes : we
•came pall a number of high bluffs, moft of them
thallcy. At half an hour paft three 'V/e paft the
jnouth cf So^kbanatchaivom the weft, and three
-miles belcAv it. came to camp, at four o'clock P.
7M. at the foot of the hill, where formerly the
,0^y<i<:/<2j were fettled : this place is called Sukta-
toQjfa (i.,e.) Black Bluff, from its being a kind
^f coal i it is a great thorough-fare for v/arring
<favages, therefore we took the ufual preeaution
<cf large fires, and hanging our hats on ftakes,
y/jiich we had -reafon .-to think not in vain -, for in
jthe night we -heard the report of fmall arms.
'This. day we .came thirty- fix miles. It is worthy
joi remark, that although v^e have come near
feventy miles from the rmnso^'Tomhecbbe^ytthy
land the diftance is not above twenty-four, or
,twenry~five miles. The land here is very fine,
4ind Mr. D<7W told me, that he had lived here
js/ith ihe Coojndas, and tliat the common yield of
ixxrn was from fixty to eighty bulhels per acre 5
1^;; they j«c?eaied hmk^ m^ hogs to jiny degree
( %%1 )
they pleafed, and that venifbn, rarkie?, and Wa
were uncommonly plenty.
I \ th. Lafl: night and this morning, being rai-
ny, we could not proceed till eleven o'clock.
All this day we paffed through thercmains of
the Coofcda and Occhcy fettkments, being ail a
fine trad of ground, of which much had betn
cleared; but it is now again overgrown witti
.reeds ; the grand, or publick pkntation in par-
ticular is an excellent tratl. At four o'clock
P.M. we encamped on a iittk plain, under a
-bluff, where was a large hunting camp, to ap-
pearance about two years old : here we faw fooie
llones, having been deeply marked by the fa-
-vages, with fome uncouth marks, but mod cJf
rthem being ftraight lines and crofTed, i have
iince been led to conjedure, whether they were
not occafioned by thefe people grinding their
awls on thefe Hones •, yet they do not ill refemble
infcriptions : this place is -a pretty fituation, and
is near two miles belov/ the deferred Occhoy town,
which Hood likewife near a black coaly bluff;
the diftance we made this day is twenty one
■miles, v/e had fine weather during the day ; but
the night was ihowery.
1 2th. At half an liour pafc eight A. M. pro-
4:esded. Ail this day we faw marks of great fer-
.tility of .foil, and much tolerably high land : at
half an b.our piaft ter., v,t were at a creek called
Ahejhai^ SC a quarter pail eleven at the laft Occhoy
field, by a creek called ^/iyZwz/^zi'rtw ; at eleven
A. M. at the hills of .'Nayina Falaya^ on the eaft
fide ; which rife ftcep out of the water, about
fifteen, ar twenty feet, then Hope up into ver)'
feigh lhi>rt pine hills. Some parts of the rock
are
( 3'-8 )
are red, others grey. Kere we ^\'cre overtaken
by very bad weather, from which took Ihelter ; at
half an hour paft one, P. M. we encamped
about three quarters of a mile below the hill, on
the (lope of a pretty high baiik, where v/e found
the remains of a camp, that had been occupied
lately by white people-, we came s bout eleven
miles and an half this day ; the rain continued
till two o'clock A. M, next day, when the wind
Ihifting to W. N. W, it grew exccffively cold.
13th. At half an hour paft ten A. M. pro-
ceeded \ at one o'clock v/e came to a hill on the
eaftfide, with an old field on itsfummit; this
hill is called Batcha-Chooka •, here we found a no-
torious gang of thieves, bdcnging to the town of
Oka Loofa^ a town in the Chattaw nation ; when
we faw their raft, we took them to be a Creek
war party, therefore, being hailed by them, and
not choofmg to be fhot at, we went near the
fhore ; but on difcovering who they were i -re-
fufed to land; they ftili infiil-ed we muft, but
my obftinate perfifting to the contrary,' diilip-
pointed their Tanguirie hopes" of plunder -, and
after Tome altercation i proceeded. This day the
marks of fertility of foil are not (o uninterruptfed
as on the former days. Our weather was clear,
and af^rong northerly wind prevailed ; — we came
nineteen miles fmcc morning, and encamped on
the welt fide, in a low Ipot of ground.
14th. Lavl night iht froft was feverc ; at a
quarter paft nine, A. M. proceeded •, — in half an
hour's time we faw very high hills, at a mile, or
better, from the river, fceriiingly covered with
pine timber; thefe hills th^i favages call Nannn
Cbahaivs, Here is a iteep place above forty feet
per-
( 229 )
perpendicular out of the water, and another
deep above it •, the lail is a grey flaty rock -, this
place is called 'TeeakhaHy Ekiitapa^ and the people
from Chicafahay had a kttlement here before the
war. About a mile and a quarter from hence is'
a remarkable white fand hill on the eaft fide ; four
miles lower we came to Tfigna-hocja^ (i. e.) the
Beloved Ground, which lies on the eaft fide, and
is very high, continuing ab9ve two miles along
the river bank •, its lower part is fleep and of a
whitifh grey, and at the end above two hundred
feet high, reckoning perpendicularly. A mile
below this is a white fand hill on the weft fide ;
we faw the pine hills all this day, at various dif-
tances from the river, fometimes clofe to it, and
the canes begin to diminilh, and pine trees mix
among the timiber. The current for thefe two
laft days, is very confiderably Qackened, and the
river widened to above five hundred feet. We
came about thirty miles and an half this day,
and encamped at tour o'clock P. M. on the fide
of a kind of bluff, about fix miles belov/ a branch
called Ifrzvaya : all day cold, the latter pajt and
night dull and hazy, at a quarter paft nine pro-
ceeded. Eight miles below our camp we were
at the mouth of Senu Bogue (j. e.) Snake Creek-^
having an ifiand m its mouth, and coming from
theweftward. Two miles and a quarter lower
is Atchatickpe, a large bay, or lagoon, on the^
fame fide : at this [)lace is the beginning of our
boundary with the Chadlaws, running from the
weft till it ftrikes Senli-Eoo^t^e, and then foilov,'S
the' courfe of faid creek, up to a certain fjgar-
loaf hill, and lo over to Begae Hocma^ and Bak-
katanc. A mile belovr this, at the bending of
tte
( 3^0 )
the river is a bluff, but not very high, of a dark
grey ilone j above this it riles gradually floping^
into a very high hill,' variegated into fniaU ridges.-
We law. many fpots of ' pines, and ibme white
fand hills ; but in general the foil, has a better
appearance than yeflerday. About an hour be-
fore we encamped, we came to the laft rapids, or
the firfl from below -, here is a remarkable ipot
of yellov/ rocks in the wefirern bank^ beginning
v/ith a high, perpendicular, white rock, with
fome grafs fpots; it is above fifty feet above the
preient farface of the water ^ its top is level and
Ihrubbyj in the middle projecSts a remarkable
)ump, which, in coming down looks exaftly
like a buttrefs againil a wall. At four o'clock
P. M. v/e encamped on the caft fide in the low
ground, above a mile belov/ the rocks, having
come thirty-one miles.- The weather has beert
clear and cold all this day. ■ Stout floops and
fchooners may come up to this rapid y therefore
i judge tiiat here fome confiderable fettlem^ent
v/iii take place.
i6th. Proceeded at half an hour paft eight,
A. M. Haying come about fifteen miles, we
faw the remains of the old JVeehimpkee fettlement :
abovit feven miles below this^ on the eall fide is
an odd rocky bluff, appearing to be fandy, and
is covered with cedar trees. The river here is
very crooked, and about ^ix miles below on the
•^'tttx (ide, v/e faw a Ipacious old field, and a fmoak
in one edge of it ^ but nobody near it, and two
miles lower down, hearing a ruftling in the
canes, we looked that way, and faw a favagein
a war drefs, lying flat; finding himfelf per-
ceived, lie got up and beckoned to us i but al-
though
( J2' )
though we were within ten feet of him, we Teemed
not to have renriarked him, upon which he lay-
down again : it is to be imagined that he was
not alone, and that this was a war party, who
had been at the fmoak, in the old field, and hav-
ing perceived us, had come to this place, know-
ing chat here we mufl come near the bank ; but
feeing th.at we were no ChaJ^azvs, and thinking
themielves undifcovered, they kept clofe. Ac
a quarter pail four o'clock, P. M. wc came to a
camp on the weft-fide, which we fuppofed by
the boats, &c. to be occupied by white people ;
in which opinion we were foon confirmed. When
they invited us on fnorc, we found they were
one T'homas Bajkett^ with two white hunters, and
fonie Chaclaws ; we v/ere here well regaled with
e>ifceilent meat, and very good bread, v/hich be-
ing prepared in an excellent manner, was a noble
feaft to us. I purchafed fome bear, bacon and
venifon hams of them, and (laid all night at
their camp -, the diftance we cam.e this day was
thirty-one miles.
17th. Embarked at half an hour paft nine^
A. M. and proceeded, accompanied by two ca-
noes with favages : v/e fooil pait by fome high
pine hills on the eaft-fide ; and at their end, hav-
ing come about two miles, we were at the little
creek called Ape Bogue cose^ which is a fpring {o
intenfely fait, that the favages told us, three
kettles of its water, yields one of fait. Having
then proceeded for four hours through low land
on- each fide, we arrived at the place called hy
the French, 'The Forks being a lagoon divided
into ■ three branches, whereof the firft is called
Ape Tcnfa^ the fccond Beelofa^ and the third Ca-
T t mtacaloMDo '
( 332 )
lintacaJamciO : here the favages lefr us ; we Hill
proceeded for half an hour more through low
land, and then came to a large bay, at the end
whereof begins the 'Tomgehettee bluff, where for-
merly a tribe of that nation refided ; this is the
firft time we have the real pine barren butting
on the river, it is very level. About five miles
below this place, we came to the firll iflands that
are of note % the land continues low and pretty
rich: here we fee the firft fummer canes At
fix o'clock P. M. we came to the Coofadas bluff,
having had the Naniabe (i. e.) Fifh Killer's ifland
above an hour on our weft fide ; this place was
the laft fettlement of the Coofadas^ after they left
Sukta loofa •, and in little more than half an hour
we were at the mouth of the great Alihamo river.
We paft the Nit a Abe ^ or Bear Killer's Bluff on
the left, and at nine o'clock P. M. we came to
the north end of the ifland, which divides the
branch called Dog River, from the weft branch
of the river. Here we ftaid all night at the plan-
tation of the Chevalier de Lucere, but found only
three or four old flaves and children, the whole
of the able hands, and the overfeer, being gone
to make tar-kilns, fo that we had but indifferent
fare. We came this day forty-two miles and an
half. N. B. Thofe iHands are very fertile, and
have a great many plantations on them, on the
branches which lay out of our way, particularly
on the I'aenfa^ and Dog Rivers.
1 8th. At a quarter paft nine, A. M. proceeded,
paft feveral plantations, as well on the iflands, as
on the main, particularly CarnpbeWsy Stuarfs^
Ardrfs, and M' GilUvrafs : at half an hour paft
eleven, A. M. arrived at Mr. Favre's houfe,
where
( 333 )
where i ftaid in order to get fome refrelhment ;
this being thefirllChriftian habitation i had been
at fmce the 20th September, laft year. Mr. Fa-
vre trened us in a mod friendly, genteel and hof-
pitable manner. At one o'clock fome boats
went up the river, which i heard were Mr. Stum'fs
people, with a provincial deputy furveyor, going
up to afcertain the boundary between us and the
ChaUaws. At two o'clock, fom.e gentlemen,
among whomi was Major Dixon, of the fixteenth
regiment, and Charles Stuart, deputy fuperinten-
dant of Indian affairs (to whom i defcribed Js-
chatikpc and Senti-Bogue, where they were to be-
gin ) followed them : they proceeded up to Mr.
Sluarfs plantation, about three miles higher up
the river. We had come feven miles and a quar-
ter this day. In the afternoon it began to rain,
and all night was a prodigious ftorm of wind and
rain, which i had the pleafure of weatherin-g out
under a good roof: here we found feveral tami-
iies of ChaSiaw favages.
19th. At a quarter pafb nine, A. M. we pro-
ceeded, went pail Chajiang's^ Strother^^ and Nar-
bofme\ plantations, having chiefly pine land on
the main, and the rith iflands on our left all this
day. Having gone five miles and three quarters,
we pafTed by the ruins of Fort Conde, or old Mobile,
and near fix miles lower down we pail by the ru-
ins of a fine plantation, formerly belonging to
the French Intendant at Mobile, nov/ to Mr.
Lizars at the fame place : 4 miles and g quar-
ters lower down we met with the firft marfh, the
river being very full, we could not learn how
far the fait water had its effeft, the bay itfelf be-
ing frclh and good at this time ; but Mr, Dow,
T t 2 who
( 334 ;
■who had been feveral times up and down this ri-
■ver, and had lived with the Coofadas for fome
years, afilired me, that the tide was very vifible
at the old Wetum-pkee fettlements, and in extra-
ordinary tides even as far as ^eehta Loofa^ where,
during his refidence on the fpot, he has fre-
quently leen it ebb and flow about an inch. We
came this day thirty-live miles and a half, and at
jiinc o'clock P. M. we arrived at Mobile.
N. B. It is to be obferved that the general
courfe of this river is from north to fouth •, but
it is very crooked.
Journals are tedious, and i believe the above
account will ilifficiently give an idea of the coun-
try, elfe i might record more of this kind, efpe-
cially a journey from Pmjacola to Ajanchac, and
down the MiiTiffipi, from thence to the fea -, but
i will content myfelf with publifhing a copy of a
paper which v/as given me by Captain Rufus
Ftitnam^ with liberty to make what ufe i pleafed
of it. This gentleman was one of the commit-
tee appointed by iht people of Connediicut, to
explore the country about the Natche-z. He
fent a letter of the fame contents to my very
worthy friend Do6lor J. Lorimer^ at Penfacola ;
this paper will compleat the intention of my giv-
ing an idea of the country, and with it i will
conclude this my firft volume.
It is as fellov/s :
A ^cording to my promife, when I -left
jf\_ Fenfacch, i now lend you the obfer-
*' vat]cns which i made of the Miffijfipi coun-
^ try, more eipecially that part v/e were fent to
*' explore
C 335 )
*'- explore, and i choofe rather to do it from ex-
*' tradsot the minutes i made in the woods, thiin
" by any general obfervaticn on them, and i am
" ill re that your goodnels will exc Life every tauk ;
" m my vulgar way of writing, fmce, if you have
" but the fads, you will be able to form a ge-
" neral account in liich language as you plcafe,
" and i fliaU begin my account firft at the Nat-
" chez.
" 26th April, 1773, arrived at fort Rofalie,
*' which is built on a high eminence, that over-
" looks rhe whole country, about two hundred
" yards from the river ; it was built of a hepta- ■-
" gon figure, with one fide frcntJEg the river ;
" each iide, or angle, was about thirty yards
" clear, v/ith two gates in the eaftern angles. I
" took here the meridional altitude of the -fun,
" by Davis-'s quadrant, as i did again on my
*' return, and i make the latitude of this place to
" be 31° 15' north ; from hence i alfo faw the
*' range of high lands from Loftus's cliffs, and
*' thofe on the eail fide of the tccma-ChittOy
" which is near twenty miles diftant, the lands
*' hereabouts are very uneven, no creeks, and
" much worn out.
" 27th Vifited St. Catharine's creek-, found
** the lands very good, timber walnut, hickory,
'' oak, afii, &c. Mr. 'TkQ?npJon\ well v/as per-
*' fed good water, without ftone or curve.
" 30th. On the point above Boyd's, creek tra-
" veiled two or three miles into the country,
" found it moltly cane land, but fubjed: to
*'- overflowing,
" :iil May. Arrived at Petit Goufre, vvhere is
^' ^ Sirm rock gn the tail: iide for near a mile,
'* partaking
'^ an
" partaking (in my opinion- of the nature of
'■' lime fcone, the land near the river is much
*' broken and very high, perhaps three hundred
" if not five hundred feet high ; about four
" miles farther up the river is a point of land
'' fomev/hat low, but good, and (locked amaz-
" ing thick with mulberry,
" 3d. About four miles up the bay one PierriS
landed and fpent fome time in exploring the
country, found the land to the N. N. W.
and N. E." low, foutherly the lands m.^ke
higher ; but broken into hills and vales, but
" then the low lands are not often overiiowed, —
" white oak, live oak abound here, intermixed
"• with copalm, and other timber, common on
" the Miffiffipi :— going up this to the fork,
" which is called kven leagues, we law feveral
'* fione quarries, in die bank fome gravel bot-
" torn and land banks, went unto a hill to view,
*' found it broken as far as we could fee, clay
" foil, and fome gra\el iiones on the top of the
" ground.
" 4th. Arrived at the forks, where the river
" parts almoft at rjght angles, and which is the
" biggeft branch i'cannor. tell : travelled N. E
"■' about 3 miles and a half u[), until we fell on a
" fmali creek that talis into the fouth fork of the
" Bafune Pierre, down which we came to our
" boat-, this branch we found windincr as the
" main creek ; the lands v/e faw are "clay and
" marl foil, not fo uneven as we had before
" feen on the creek ; arrived at the big black,
*' (Petite riviere dcs ^eaux) where part of our
" company fet off by land to the Yafoo^ and the
** reit of us by v/ater, found many parts of the
'^ bank
( 337 _ )
" bank high enough to build on before we came
" to the l^'afoo chffs, which are very high. Nine
" miles up the river Tafo3 found Captain Enos,
" and thofe that went with him, at a place where
" it is faid the French formerly had a fort and
" fettlement ; the bank on the right hand, going
" up at this plac^, is a high ridge of rocks, with
" a fine fpring of water, tailing from ihequarne,
" the Tafis river is about four hundred, or five
" hundred feet broad, its courfe is call, about
" two miles and an half up N. E. to the above
" place, is a very dead, fcagnated water, of bad
" colour, covered with fcum, and abounds with
" aligators •, its banks in Ibme places are high,
*' bat cut through in many places, by the over-
" flowing of the Mijj]J[ipi \ about two miles and
" a half from the mouth is a pleafant creek,
" comes in on the right, to which we returned
" and encamped, from whence we made fever al
" tours into the country, found all this point
" between the I'aj'oo cliffs and the river, iov/ and
" full of ponds.
" 13th. Colonel Putnam^ Mr. Z)'»?^« and my-
'' felf fet out about ten o'clock A. M. for the
" purpofe of farther reconnoitring the lands be-
" tween the old fields, on the "fafoo cliffs, we
" went up the Tafoo^ near the old field, or
" French fettlement, fleering fouth ; in sU ut
" two miles, came to a dead creek, which we
" traced eailvvard, till we found it came out of
" the high lands •, we then bore fouth v^'ard two
" or three miles, travelling by feme cvprefs
" fvvamps, fbme lands not overflowed by the
" MifliiTipi, keeping the highlands in fight on
" our kft y this brought us into an excellent fiat
" piecq
( 33S )
** piece of land, full of grafs, and feme cane, with
" oak, walnut, and other wood, common in tlie
" country, we difcovered rigr)s of water fpread-
" ing over this land from the hills in ieveral
*' places, v;e ftcered call as we found the high-
" lands bore farther off, but was foon taken up
" with a mighty cane break ; Colonel Putnnin
" here climbed a tree, difcovered highland at
" about a hundred rod dillance, we travelled for
" it and arrived at it, in about two hours, with
" t\\Q utmoft difficulty, in our way found a line
" running fpring of water •, alcending the higheft
" part of the hill i climbed a tree, from which i
" had a fine profped', found the lands N". E. and
" S. to be hilly, but not mountainous, nor much
" broken, then returned to the fpring aforemen-
" tioned and encamped.
" 14th. Arrived at the Tafoo cliffs, on the
" ^"^^33^-) where we met the reft of ovir com-
" pany, we came down under the high lands all
" tiie way, found the country good.
" 15th. Mr. Lyman^ and myfelf, went unto
"' the cliffy, v^^hich fhut quite down the river,
"on thefe hills i clim.bed two trees, and found
*' the land make high north eaftward, and S. S.
** eaftward, bearing off from the river, but fome-
'' v/hat uneven, full of cane and rich foil, even
" 0,1 the very higheft ridges, juft below the cliffs,
" the bank is low, by which means the water on
'* ta^ MiJJifftpi flows back and runs between lYiC,
*- bank and high land (which range near north
" and S. S. E. to the Loofa-chitta^ forming much
*' low land, cyprefs fwamp, and dead ponds,
*■'■ without one brook, or running ftreim, as Capt.
( 339 )
'*' Enos informed me, who went up that way by
'' land.
" 1 7th. Went up the big Black (Loofa thitto)
*' which is at the mouth about eighty feet wide,
" but within, from eighty to a hundred and forty;
«* in about a mile and a half came to high land
" on the right, but broken, a mile and a half
*' further, the high lands make again on the
" right; fpent much time in reconnoitring the
*' country, faw feveral fprings of water on the
" right, but none on the left ; at eight miles paft
" Mr. Chiere^ an Indian trader ; here the high
'^ lands come near the river on the left, and ap-
*' pear to be the fame range that comes from
« the Tafvo cliffs.
" 1 8 th. Being fourteen miles up, lands make
" high near the river for two or three miles, but
" broken, though good and full of fprings of
" Vy'ater : in the afternoon made high level land
" on the left, (which is now refer ved for the ca-
" pital :) after reconnoitring the country round
" (which wc found very good for a fettlement, or
** building a town) we encamped.
*' 19th. Set out in the morning, up the river,
'*' reconnoitring both lides for four or five miles
" from the river, found the land good, not fo
" much drowned, nor fo uneven j after row-
*' ing the boat about fix miles and a half fur-
^' ther, v/e came to a rapid water, ftone or gra-
" vel bottom, twenty or thirty rods; and in
•*' one place a firm rock, almoft acrofs the river,
*' and much of it bare at this feafon (which is
" neither low nor high v/ater) as confines the wa-
" ter to nearly twenty feet, ^nd the channel
'" about four feet deep. 1 Iball add no more
♦' by way of extrad, and fnall obfervc only, that i
U u " have
( 540 )
" have faid little about the Miffjfiph as it is fo ge-
" nerally known that i could afford you but little
" light in the matter •, but have confined my ex-
*' tracts to the more unknown parts j one thing
«' i would obferve about the poftage of the crofs,
" above foiyit coupe^ which is, that i do not be-
" lieve any fuch thing, as a communication acrofs
" here, in high water. I fpent tv/o days up that
** creek, found it grow lefs and lefs, by branch-
" ing out into fmall rivulets, coming from high
'^ lands, and not the leaft appearance of lakes, or
" drowned lands."
It may, perhaps, be agreeable to the inhabi-
tants of Eaft and Weft-Florida, who become
purchafers of this work, to have a copy of fuch
articles of the late treaty of peace, in 1762, as
immediately concern them. I have therefore
fubjoined, by way of appendix, to this volume,
the fubfequent extrad from the preliminary ar»
tides of peace between his Britannick Majcfty,
the Moji Chridian King, and the Catholick King ;
figned zX.Fontainbleau^ the 3d day of Nov. 1762.
A TT IJl^ MofiChriJlianU^]Q^
Article 11. |--| renounces all pretenhons,
xvhich he has heretofore formed, or might h.ave
formed to Nova Scotia^ or Acadia, in all its parts,
and guaranties the whole of it, with all its depen-
dencies, to the King of Great-Britain : moreover,
r.is AIoJ} Chrijlian Majefty cedes and guaranties
to his faid Britannick Majefty, in full right, Ca-
fifJd^ with ail its dependencies, as well as the
iiland of Cape Breton^ and all the other illands in
the gulph and river of Si. Laurence^ without re-
ftrii^ion, and without any liberty to depart from
tills ccffion and guaranty, under any pretence, or
to trouble Great-Britain in the pofleftions above-
men tjoncc
( 341 )
mentioned. His Britannick Majefly, on his ficle^
agrees to grant to the inhabitants of Canada, the
liberty of the Catholick religion, he will in con-
lequence give the moft exadt, and the moft ef-
fectual orders, that his new Roman Catbolick fub-
jedJs may profefs the worlhip of their religion,
according to the rites of the Reman church, as
far as the .laws of Great-Britain permit. His Bri-
tannick Majefty further agrees, that the French
inhabitants, or others, who would have been
fubjedsof the Moft Chriftian King in Cmmda, may
retire in all fafety and freedom, where ever they
pleafe, and may fell their cftatcs, provided it be
to his Britannick Majefty's fubjeifls, and tranf-
port their effects, as well as their perfons, with-
out being reftrained in their emigration, under
any pretence whatfoevcr, except debts or crimi-
nal profecutions •, the term limited for this emi-
gration being fixed to the fpace of eighteen
months, to be computed from the day of the ra-
tification of the definitive treaty.
Art. VI. In order to re-eftablifh peace on
the moft folid and lafting foundations, and to re-
move forever every fubjed of difpute, with re-
gaj^ to the limits of the Britifi and French ter-
ritories on the continent of America j it is agreed,
that for the future the confines between the do-
minions of his Britannick Majefty, and thofe of
his Mcft Chriftian Majefty, in that part of the
world, ftiall be irrevocably fixed, by a line drav/n
along the middle of the river Mijpffipi from the
four£e, as far as the river Uervilk, and from
tlience by a line drawn along the middle of this
river, and of the lakes Maurepas and Po?it char train
to the fea, and to this purpofe the Moft Chrijlian
Ki.-ig cedes in full right, and guaranties to his Bri-
tannick
( 342 )
iannick Majeft)% the river and port oi Mobile ^ and
every thing that he poirt- lies, or ongl r to have pel-
feiled, on the left iide of the river MifftJJipi^ except
the town of Neiv Oj-leans^ and the iQand in which
it is fituated, v/hich fliall remain to France •. ^j:o-
vided, that tiie navigation of the river MijjtJJipi
fhall be equally free, as well to the rubjeds of
Great-Britain as to thofe of Francs, in' its whole
length and breadth, from its fource to the fea,
and that part exprelsly, which is between the faid
illand oiNcJiy-Orkans, and the right bank of that
river, as well as the pafiage both in and out of
its mouth : it is further ftipulated, that the vef-
fels belonging to the fubjeds of either nation,
fliall not be ilopped, vifited, or fubjed to the
payment of any duty whatfoever. The ftipula-
tions in favour of the inhabitants of Canada, in-
ferred in the fecond article, lliall aifo take place,
with regard to the inhabitants of the -country,
ceded'^by this article.
Art. XIX. His Cntholick Majefty cedes and
guaranties in full right to his Britunnick Majefty,
ail that S-pnin poiTelles on the continent of Ncrth-
Ainerica, to the Cail, or to the fouth-eaft of the
river MilTifTipi, and his Eritanmc Majefty agrees
to grant to the inhabitants of this country above
ceded, the liberty of the Catholic religion : He
will in confequence give the moft exad, and the
mod effedual orders, that his new Roman Catho-
lick fubjects m.ay profefs the worfhip of their re-
ligion, according to the rites of the Roman c^\^Ji\■c\\
as far as the laws of Great-Britain permit. His
Britannick Maielly further agrees, that the Spanijh
inhabitants, or others, who would have been fub-
ieds to the Catholick King, in the faid countries,
ra^y retire in ail fafety and freedom, &c.
F INI S.
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